El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) in the News

Recent news items about Día:





“Día at Discovery – A Sweet 16 Celebration of Children’s Day, Book Day” (The Venture)

Writers in the Schools Students to Read with Pat Mora at Dia (Writers in the Schools blog)

"Library Celebrating Childrens Day, Book Day"  (Tulsa World)

Día de los Niños celebrated at all library branches (Daily Democrat)

UT/Austin Hispanic Faculty Staff Association organizes book collection for Día

Spring into Reading with Dia (Palm Springs Public Library blog (CA))

Latin Baby Book Club El día de los niños/El día de los libros Booklist (Latin Baby Book Club blog)

Thank you Día supporters!

Today's Día Reflection

Day by day, día por día

Let’s unite our energies, knowledge, and diverse skills, unleashing our creativity, adding our individual zing to sharing bookjoy and creating a nation of readers.

I'm posting a Reflection each day during April in honor of Dia’s 15th Anniversary. All thirty Reflections will be available as a downloadable pdf at the end of the month.



Happy Birthday Dia!

Today I am at the Valencia Library in Tucson. My thanks to ALSC that sponsored my visit to the city in which the Día idea came to me. I remember the moment at the University of Arizona campus so clearly and remember the support of my Latino University of Arizona friends, many members of REFORMA, who quickly supported the idea.


Deep thanks to all the Día supporters around the country who have worked so hard this month to share bookjoy with America's diverse families and children. A special thanks to my web team, Laurina Cashin and Bobbie Combs, Día Dynamos who have worked tirelessly on our blog Díapalooza and who have helped produce Idea Booklet for a Día Year. We hope you will print and read this pdf and put it in your Día file to assist you in your Día planning for next year.

Let's celebrate niños y libros, children and books, throughout the year!

Click here for the full Visual History of Día

Send Us Your Photos!

We welcome a photo or two of your 2011 Día event to use in a video of national 15^th Anniversary Celebrations on http://www.patmora.com/. We’re gathering photos that focus on the literacy-related aspects of your Día event – author readings, story-hours, book parades, book making, etc. Please send jpegs only.

Today's Día Reflection

Day by day, día por día

Let’s boldly plan together for Día’s 20th Anniversary expanding Día’s impact and thus uniting our too-often divided country, uniting for the well-being of all our children. 

I'm posting a Reflection each day during April in honor of Dia’s 15th Anniversary. All thirty Reflections will be available as a downloadable pdf at the end of the month.

15 Día Nuggets: #15 Bookjoy Quotes

Our last Día Nugget -- enjoy!

15 Día Nuggets for Día’s 15th Anniversary

#15 Bookjoy Quotes

1. I think its fun to read a dog story to my dog. Katelyn, 8

2. I love reading because it is so relaxing. Kyra, 7

3. I love to read because I enjoy getting lost in stories. It takes me away from reality for a while, and that is truly a blessing! Jean, 45

4. My books are portable and can go anywhere - the biggest benefit of all is you can read them as many times as you like! Kermit, 72

5. I am happy when the story isn’t scary. Julia, 3

6. Bookjoy (or the pleasure of reading) means turning off the outside world and escaping into a universe that I choose. Karen, 45

7. I like reading cause you get to read cool books and learn cool things. Paige, 9

8. MY favorite time to read is after everyone has gone to bed -- a good book can take me to places of adventure - of peace - of beauty - I'm only limited by my own imagination. What a great way to end the day! Diana, 50

9. I like to read because I get smart. Keane, 5

10. Well, reading is how you hear about interesting stuff. Gavin, 7

11. Reading is fun because it brings me to a whole new world. John, 10

12. I love (she drew a heart) books because there are adventures and magic and fantasy and I feel like it is happening right in front of me! Lucie, 9

13. I like books because you get captured in the book. Sam, 9

14. I love reading because if helps me with my writing and gets my imagination flowing. Drew, 16

15. Because I like to pretend I'm a librarian. Lauren, 5

All 15 Nuggets are archived and also available as a downloadable pdf.

Día at Spanglish Baby and Arizona State University

So many places to celebrate Día!

Roxanne Soto at Spanglish Baby  is sponsoring a Bilingual School Library Contest in honor of Día's 15th Anniversary. The winning library will receive $500 worth of bilingual and Spanish language books donated by publishers. Entries close May 8, 2011; read more details here.

On April 30 Arizona State University will host its first Día de los Niños/Día de Los Libros Literacy Celebration for students from across Arizona. “A variety of reading/writing activities are planned for our student guests, such as book making, bookmark making, poetry writing, oral storytelling workshops and much more,” said Tracey Flores, a teacher consultant with ASU’s Central Arizona Writing Project, sponsor of the event. Several authors are joining the event. Read more here.
  

Today's Día Reflection

Day by day, día por día

Let’s rejoice that Día, this family literacy initiative that works to honor children and to connect them to books, languages and cultures, has grown for 15 years and continues to grow and flourish.

I'm posting a Reflection each day during April in honor of Dia’s 15th Anniversary. All thirty Reflections will be available as a downloadable pdf at the end of the month.

Thank You!

In these final days of celebrating Día's 15th Anniversary, I wish to thank particular organizations and publishers who helped Spread the Día Word this year. Gracias to those listed below and special thanks to my Día partners REFORMA: the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking and the Association of Library Service to Children, (ALSC) a division of the American Library Association (ALA.)

I hope that the list of organizations that promote Día keeps growing and growing. Spread the Día Word!

photo by Michelle Brea

In alphabetical order:

Arte Público Press
California State Library
Charlesbridge Publishing
Children’s Book Press
Cinco Punto Press
HarperCollins Children’s Books
National Association for the Education of Young Children
National Council of Teachers of English
New Mexico Governor’s Office
State Library of North Carolina
Paper Tigers
Random House Children’s Books
Reading is Fundamental (RIF)
Southeast REFORMA Chapter
Texas State Library and Archives
United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY)
University of Arizona Press
WETA (Colorin Colorado and Reading Rockets)

Día Poster Artist Maya Gonzalez

My thanks to Maya Gonzalez for her enthusiasm about Día and for creating this wonderful Día poster.




Maya writes about creativity, the Dia poster and her work:

"My name is Maya Gonzalez. I am an artist, author and educator. I’ve made art for 20 multi-cultural children’s books and written two of those. I’ve also created Claiming Face/Self-Empowerment Through Self-Portraiture: An Educator’s Guide to Building the Powerful Link Between Creativity and A Sense of Self and Gender Now Coloring Book/A Learning Adventure for Children and Adults for Reflection Press. I’ve taught and played and lectured in schools, universities, libraries and conferences. I also make a lot of my own art!

For as long as I can remember I have been a creative beast. Creativity is my life. My blood. A way of being and perceiving the world. I have come to know that we are all artists. It is our birthright and our greatest resource in all of life and it connects us to the power of nature. This is why I am so committed to working with educators to bring creativity as a tool into the classroom for all of our children, but especially our children of color. Over my many years of going into the classroom as an artist working with children, my curriculum called Claiming Face evolved.

I tell kids how I remember being 4 and drawing my round Chicana face on the blank pages in the backs of books. I didn’t find my face in books as a child, but I knew in my heart that we belonged there and that we need to see ourselves. That’s why I teach kids to create images of their selves. I co-founded a press with my husband called Reflection Press to further this work. Our motto is “a people should not long for their own image.” Something happens deep inside of us where there are not always words, when we hold a book or a piece of art in our hands and we can see ourselves reflected back. When I was asked to do the ALA poster for El Dia, I portrayed a grandmother sharing a special moment with many important aspects of life that support and sustain us. These include reading, nature and community with children from many different cultural backgrounds to reflect all the different ways we are.

I began making books in 1995, just in time for El Dia de los Ninos/El Dia de los Libros to take hold in this country in 1997. (Thank you for rooting this perfect tree here Pat Mora!) What a great event. I have celebrated it in schools and libraries for so many years I cannot remember the first. In my imagination it has always existed. I can say though that I would have LOVED this as a child. I was just in Sacramento this month celebrating, telling tales and making art with generous and brilliant children creating portraits of themselves as owls! So wise, so able to see in the dark! And for a moment, surrounded by the big library, the books and owl art and kids and all of life, I felt completely at home. "

Today's Día Reflection

Day by day, día por día

Let’s gather together when possible to re-excite one another about Día’s potential to enrich lives and strengthen families and communities.

I'm posting a Reflection each day during April in honor of Dia’s 15th Anniversary. All thirty Reflections will be available as a downloadable pdf at the end of the month.

15 Día Nuggets: #13 Pat's Vision for Día's Future

15 Día Nuggets for Día’s 15th Anniversary

#13 Pat’s Vision for Día’s Future

In April 2016, the 20th Anniversary of El día de los niños / El día de los libros, Children’s Day / Book Day (Día), literacy advocates committed to sharing bookjoy will celebrate reaching these 15 goals.

1. Like Mother’s Day (May) and Father’s Day (June), Children’s Day/Book Day (April), becomes a national tradition.

2. Día is included on annual library, school and literacy calendars.

3. Educators (teachers, librarians, professors, administrators, those involved in informal education at museums, community agencies) partner enthusiastically with diverse families as literacy advocates throughout the year.

4. Educators and families diversify their library collections to reflect America’s rich cultural reality.

5. State library associations, state libraries, school districts, teacher and librarian preparation programs, and community agencies promote and support Día’s development on an annual basis.

6. The number of Día celebrations in schools, libraries and community centers grows steadily, celebrations that are truly culminating literacy celebrations of a daily commitment to link all children to books, languages and cultures.

7. Distributing free books to build home libraries is a popular component of community-based Día celebrations.

8. Middle schools celebrate El día de los jovenes, Teen or Young People’s Day, which can include middle schoolers as literacy mentors.

9. Realizing the relevance of Día to their educational mission, colleges and universities create service projects with Día, a literacy tradition, as a theme.

10. Publishers join the Día parade by designing Día materials and supporting Día’s goal of promoting reading.

11. ALA/ALSC, Día’s home, creatively increases Día’s national visibility and secures national funding for Día.

12. To ensure Día’s growth, influence and effectiveness, ALA/ALSC creates a strategic National Día Advisory Committee that includes ALSC, other youth and family-serving ALA divisions, REFORMA, Día’s founder, NCTE and other national literacy partner organizations, and media and corporate representatives.

13. Día increases the visibility and membership of REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, Pat’s first organizational partner.

14. All who believe in Día’s goals of celebrating children and sharing bookjoy become bold advocates in the National Día Community creating partnerships and networks to increase Día’s impact.

15. Día strengthens and unifies America’s communities by growing a nation of reading families, essential in a democracy.

One Nugget remains! At the end of this week all 15 Nuggets and 30 Reflections will be available as a single pdf for downloading.

Día Celebration at Zavala Elementary

School Librarian, Lisa Lopez, sent news about her library's  Día celebration.

Snow White in New York

As a campus, we have been celebrating Día’s culminating event by implementing a two-week thematic unit on folk and fairy tales, which commenced with my performance of “Little Red Riding Hood” in both English and Spanish at our school library. Students in grades 3 through 5 have been composing and acting out their own folk and fairy tales of their choice, but with a twist. We have enjoyed plays titled: “Snow White in New York”, “Goldilocks and the Three Donkeys”, “Aladdin and the Magic Lamp”, “Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett”, “La Llorona”, etc. Students have been so excited about storytelling that they have created their own puppets, stages, and props using recyclables! They have presented their tales to the lower grades and to their peers in order to rehearse. During the actual 15^th Anniversary of Día in El Paso, TX students will be performing their tales at the storytelling booth!

Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett

Second graders enjoying Aladdin

Today's Día Reflection

Day by day, día por día

Let’s collaborate: honor the perspectives we each bring, listen with open hearts and minds, respect our varying styles and unite for the well-being and future of our children, our nation’s future.

I'm posting a Reflection each day during April in honor of Dia’s 15th Anniversary. All thirty Reflections will be available as a downloadable pdf at the end of the month.

The Spirit of Día

A new professional resource, Celebrating Cuentos: Promoting Latino Children’s Literature and Literacy in Classrooms and Libraries, (Libraries Unlimited, 2011) edited by Jamie Campbell Naidoo just released. Colorín Colorado has reprinted the chapter on Día, "The Spirit of Día : Celebrating Cuentos Every Day," co-authored by Jamie with Irania Patterson (Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library.) You can read it here.

Learn more about the book here.

Día in North Carolina

Kenzia Lett wrote about Día events at the Union County Public Library (NC).

Día de los niños/ día de los libros (Day of the Children/ Day of the Book)

Monday, April 25th at 3:00 p.m. @ MARSHVILLE
Don’t miss this celebration of children and books with fun activities and crafts. For ages 5-12. English/Español

Fiesta de día de los niños - Children’s Day Party!
Monday, April 25th at 4:00 p.m. @ WAXHAW
Celebrate Día de los niños/ Día de los libros with a fiesta! Books, music, crafts, and a piñata will make for a súper divertido (super fun) time!

Criss, Cross Mangosauce performs in celebration of Día de Los Niños/ Día de Los Libros
Tuesday, April 26th at 3:30pm @ Union West Regional
This is an interactive performance that makes children move and sing in both English and Spanish, using a combination of traditional Latin rhythms and classic American children’s rhymes. All ages invited for a fun and musical time!

My Garden: Growing Readers/Mi Jardín: Cultivando Lectores
Thursday April 28 at 4:00 pm @ Monroe
Join us for our Día de los Niños/ Día de los Libros (Day of the Children/ Day of the Book) celebration. Kevin Henkes’ My Garden sets the stage for this bilingual and nature-inspired program. Kids will have fun learning Spanish words and how to plant a flower. They will also take part in creating a special art project for our May bulletin board! For ages 4-9. Receive a free packet of flower seeds to take home and plant!

Today's Día Reflection

Day by day, día por día

Let’s connect in committed circles that form the powerful community-based National Día Community in our city, state, region and country.

I'm posting a Reflection each day during April in honor of Dia’s 15th Anniversary. All thirty Reflections will be available as a downloadable pdf at the end of the month.

Kutztown University Children's Literature Conference

I savor presenting to interested audiences as much as I enjoy writing. Good audiences energize me, and I was certainly energized recently in Pennsylvania. At Kutztown University Children's Literature Conference, I was fortunate to hear and visit with Jerry Pinkney, Linda Sue Park and Beth Krommes. I don't get to listen to authors and illustrators that often, so that alone was a treat. I also had the pleasure of speaking to three different audiences: second graders, university students and faculty, and area teachers and librarians. How excited these professionals and pre-service teachers were to hear about Día. "We'll do this!" they'd say enthusiastically. I felt surrounded by warm and friendly people, mostly women, who loved reading and wanted to share bookjoy.

Soon, Día's 15th Anniversary will end, and I'll be delighted to return to writing carrying some of that PA good-will with me.

Día Anniversary Celebration at ALA Conference

“Many Children, Many Cultures, Many Books: Celebrating the 15th Anniversary of El día de los niños/El día de los libros” will take place during the ALA Annual Conference on Saturday, June 25th, at 10:30 am, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Join us for the 15th anniversary celebration of Día! Hear from Día founder, Pat Mora, one of Día’s first supporters, Oralia Garza de Cortes, and Dia author Jeanette Larson. Also presenting will be Julie Corsaro, ALSC President, and Lucia Gonzalez, REFORMA President. REFORMA is the Founding Partner of Dia. Learn effective multicultural programming techniques for year round Día celebrations, and explore new Día resources.

Today's Día Reflection

Day by day, día por día

Let’s see ourselves as central rather than peripheral, as a force for positive change that welcomes ideas for expanding and deepening Día’s work.

I'm posting a Reflection each day during April in honor of Dia’s 15th Anniversary. All thirty Reflections will be available as a downloadable pdf at the end of the month.