International Children's Book Day (2 April)

 

International Children's Book Day (2 April)

 

 

“Books are lighthouses erected in the great sea of time.”- E.P.Whipple

 

 

Introduction:

 

International Children’s Book Day is on 2nd April and World Book Day is on 23rd April. These are the two important events celebrated all over the world with a common motive, i.e. to promote reading habits in children.

 

2^nd April is celebrated all over the world as International Children's Book Day. In today's modern era, attracting the attention of children towards the books is quite difficult and motivating them to read books needs efforts.

 

Today, the condition of every house is the same, now children have mobile or television remote control in their hands. If we talk about the games, then children are seen playing games on mobiles or computers. Now children take books in their hands only when they have to read any syllabus of their school. There was a time when children spent most of their time in reading books, whether it is related to education or entertainment.

 

 

International Children's Book Day (2 April): History:

 

International Children's Book Day is celebrated across the world on 2 April at the initiative of the United Nations since 1967. Its main purpose is to reduce the distance of growing children from books.

 

Books are the real friends of people. The knowledge acquired from these books shows the way ahead in the future. It starts from childhood, but in today's time the distance between children and literature is increasing. Earlier, during the summer holidays, children used to insist on buying comics. The eighties and early nineties can be called the golden age of children's reading habits. At that time the presence of TV and cartoon channels was very less. Actually technology has affected children's originality and morality.

 

International Children's Book Day (ICBD) has been organized since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday on 2^nd April by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), an international non-profit organization, to inspire a love of reading and a focus on children's books. It is done every year on 2nd April. Hans Christian Andersen was a world famous children’s storybooks writer.

 

 

International Children's Book Day (ICBD) Theme 2021:

                                     

"The Music of Words"

 

 

Every year IBBY has the opportunity to be the international sponsor of ICBD in a different national segment and decide on a topic. IBBY USA is the sponsor of International Children's Book Day 2021.

 

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
 

n  Founder of the International Board on Books for Young People: Jella Lepman.

n  International Board on Books for Young People founded: 1953, Zurich, Switzerland.

n  International Board on Books for Young People Headquarters: Basel, Switzerland.

 

 

 

Do children in today’s age have good reading habits? A child often reads stories at the early stage but as the school syllabus becomes lengthy in the further years, reading is often neglected.  Also, in today’s age where we have the internet to search any specific information, the reading habit in children gets neglected.

 

The knowledge of the whole world is hidden in books, but in the present time no one has time to read a book. Everyone seems to be busy in the Smartphone and now this habit has started coming in children too. Children spend more time on smart phones than on books. It is said that books are always alive and the letters of books are the symbol of knowledge. By taking inspiration from books, a person can face any situation. So inculcate the habit of reading books to children.

 

 

School Report:
 

 

The Avon School organized a ‘Workshop on Reading Skills’ consisting of different fun filled activities for age group: 6 to 10 years, i.e. from Class 1 to 5. The resource persons made the students play ‘Spell Bee’, ‘Nursery Rhyme Competitions’, ‘Word Sound Game’, ‘Word Search’, ‘Reading Riddle Maze Game’, ‘Read Aloud Questions’, ‘Story Sequencing’, ‘Chinese Checkers’, ‘Scrabble’ etc.

 

Each section of each class from Class 1 to 5 was allotted an author to read all his/her books and to make ‘Book Jacket’, ‘Book Cover’, ‘Book Reviews’, ‘Book Enactment’ and ‘Characters Fancy Dress’.

 

The school organized a ‘Book Fair’ collaborated with Scholastic Publications and the local publishers of children’s books. The students were given coupons and gift vouchers too. The parents were also invited to the ‘Book Fair’.

 

 

“When you read a book, you expand your horizons and you become a better person.”

Also read: World Book Day (23 April)