Compiled by Cynthia Leitich Smith,
Día Author Ambassador,

El día de los niños, El día de los libros/Children’s Day, Book Day
is April 30 and every day of the year.

Find ideas from bookjoy!

Día means “day” in Spanish. In 1996, author Pat Mora learned about the Mexican tradition of celebrating April 30 as El día del niño, the day of the child.

Pat thought, “We have Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Yes! We need kids’ day too, but I want to connect all children with bookjoy, the pleasure of reading.”

Pat was
enthusiastically assisted to start this community-based, family literacy initiative by REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking. El día de los niños, El día de los libros/Children’s Day, Book Day, now known as Día, is a daily commitment to link all children to books, languages and cultures, day by day, día por día.

Día is now housed at the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association. Every year, across the country, libraries, schools, and community organizations, etc. plan culminating book fiestas creating April Día celebrations that unite communities. Join us!

Cynsational Notes

Attn Authors & Illustrators: become a Día ambassador and add a badge to your blog/website.

By Jeanette Larson for ALSC, learn more.

Check out the Día FAQ, articles and interviews, song, advocates and history. Don’t miss this archive of Día ideas. Peek: “Is Día only for Latinos? No, planners of Día events translate the words ‘Children’s Day/Book Day’ into the home languages in their community. As the librarians at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library say, “DÍA = Diversity in Action.”

Over at ALSC, find a Día program in your area, register a 2013 program, and download a Día family toolkit, download and print this free poster to publicize an event in your community. Or you can purchase a Many Children, Many Cultures, Many Books! poster and bookmarks.

See also the Día: Diversity in Action Book List and Book List Addendum (PDFs).

The Estela and Raúl Mora Award was established in 2000 by author Pat Mora and her family to honor their parents and to motivate libraries to celebrate Día. See information about the award, a list of previous winners, and award guidelines.