International Children's Book Day 2023

 

I am a book, read me.

by Vagelis Iliopoulos

 

I am a book.

You are a book.

We are all books.

 

My soul is the story I tell.

Every book tells its own story.

 

We can look quite different –

some big, some small,

some colourful, some black and white,

some with a few pages, some with many.

 

We may say similar or completely different things,

but that’s our beauty.

It would be boring to be all the same.

 

Each of us is unique.

And each of us has the right to be respected,

to be read without prejudice,

to be given space in your library.

 

You may have opinions about me.

You may choose to question or comment on what you read.

You can put me back in the library

or hold me close and travel with me a long way.  

Today the 2nd of April is International Children's Book Day. The date matches the birthday of Hans Christian Andersen and IBBY (International Board on Books for the Young) also have a huge international award named in his honour - the Hans Christian Andersen Award.  Australia have won this twice in 1986 - Patricia Wrightson and Robert Ingpen. Check out IBBY Australia's web page.  Our 2023 nominees are Matt Ottley and Gary Crew. From 2020-2022 our former president Dr Robin Morrow was a member of the international jury for this award. There are eighty IBBY National sections.

What is IBBY

The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) is a non-profit organization which represents an international network of people from all over the world who are committed to bringing books and children together.

Mission

• to promote international understanding through children's books
• to give children everywhere the opportunity to have access to books with high literary and artistic standards
• to encourage the publication and distribution of quality children's books, especially in developing countries
• to provide support and training for those involved with children and children's literature
• to stimulate research and scholarly works in the field of children's literature
• to protect and uphold the Rights of the Child according to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

IBBY is an non-profit organisation that was founded in Zurich, Switzerland in 1953. Today, it is composed of 80 National Sections all over the world. It represents countries with well-developed book publishing and literacy programmes, and other countries with only a few dedicated professionals who are doing pioneer work in children's book publishing and promotion.

IBBY also support important projects:

IBBY Children in Crisis Fund

Silent Books for refugee children who arrived on the island of Lampedusa

IBBY-Asahi Reading Promotion Award

IBBY-iRead Outstanding Reading Promoter Award

Honour Books list with exemplary titles from around the world

IBBY Collection for Young People with Disabilities

Sustainable Development Goals Book Club

Books for Africa from Africa

Bookbird IBBY Journal

Join IBBY Australia and help us continue to promote these important international programs and also to promote our Australian Authors and Illustrators through the Hans Christian Andersen Award and the various IBBY book lists.

Read more about Hans Christian Andersen