OTTAWA- Every year, on or around Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday (April 2), International Children’s Book Day is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children’s books.
This year, IBBY Canada, the Canadian national chapter of the International Board on Books for Young People, is the official sponsor of International Children’s Book Day 2022. Ottawa Public Library is joining other public libraries across Canada to highlight the benefits and artistry of books and stories for young children and their fundamental role in building early childhood literacy.
The theme for International Children’s Book Day 2022 is: Stories are wings that help you soar every day, written by celebrated Aboriginal author Richard Van Camp. This idea captures the power of children’s books to expand horizons, ignite the imagination and build understanding.
OPL invites children, parents, caregivers and families of all kinds to enjoy an exciting array of virtual programs and activities developed by IBBY Canada, steeped in Indigenous cultures and stories. Most of the International Children’s Book Day 2022 programs are in English, but there are free activity kits offered in both official languages (English and French) to celebrate.
Join us Friday, March 25 at 5 pm for a Conversation about Māori and Cree children’s storytelling, and at 5:45 pm that same evening for a Children’s Storytime featuring readings of exceptional storybooks from New Zealand and Canada.
To increase awareness and understanding, OPL has booklists that feature 25 of the best Indigenous picture books published in Canada between 2018 and 2020. Plus, the Library has dedicated a web hub for easy access to full range of Indigenous content and themes from Indigenous creators on the OPL Indigenous web page.