El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros
Day of the Children/Day of the Books
April 25-30, 2006
Francisco X. Alarcón, award-winning bilingual poet from the University of California, Davis, will join four public libraries and eight other literacy partners in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati to celebrate El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) from April 25-30, 2006.
View PDF Flyer
Professor Alarcón, Chicano poet and educator, will share his dreams and special insight on family, community, culture, and the natural world in three public library presentations during the last week of April and will be the featured guest at a culminating fiesta at Centro de Amistad in Erlanger, Kentucky, on Sunday afternoon, April 30, from 1:00-4:00 p.m.View PDF Flyer
All events are free and are designed to provide families with an opportunity to enjoy bilingual poetry for children and adults as well as Professor Alarcón’s special view of family, community, and the world. The El Día fiesta on April 30 will feature:
Free books for children while they last
Continuous bilingual storytimes
Latino music, crafts, games, dancing, and food
Open mike for bilingual poetry readings
Alarcón’s books will be available for purchase and signing at all public events. For Kentucky events, sales will be handled by The Blue Marble Children’s Bookstore in Ft. Thomas, Kentucky. Books may be pre-ordered from The Blue Marble for delivery at Northern Kentucky library events by calling or emailing the store (859-781-0602, bluemarble@fuse.net). Book sales in Ohio will be handled by the Friends of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.
For more general information and directions, please call the Kenton County Public Library at (859) 962-4060 ext. 4077 or Centro de Amistad at (859) 538-1175.
Thursday,
April 27 at 7 p.m. Boone County Public Library
Florence Branch
7425 U.S. 42
Florence, KY
For more information,
call (859) 384-5550, ext. 31.
Saturday,
April 29 from 10 a.m. to noon Blue Marble Children's Bookstore
1356 South Ft. Thomas Avenue
Ft. Thomas, KY
For more information,
call (859) 781-0602
Sunday,
April 30 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Centro de Amistad
947 Donaldson Highway
Erlanger, Kentucky
For more information, call (859) 962-4077 (Children’s Reference Desk, Mary Ann Mongan Library) or (859) 538-1175 (Centro de Amistad). View PDF Flyer
This celebration of El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.
Este programa está apoyado por el Instituto del Museo y Servicios Bibliotecarios bajo las provisiones del Acta de Servicios Bibliotecarios y de Tecnologia administrado por el Departamento de Bibliotecas y Archivos de Kentucky.
The sponsors for this week-long celebration of family literacy include Boone County Adult Education, Boone County Public Library, Campbell County Public Library, Centro de Amistad, CET Cincinnati Public Television, Kenton County Adult Education, Kenton County Public Library, Literacy in Northern Kentucky, Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Santa Maria Community Services, and Su Casa Hispanic Center.
What is El Día?
Book Lists & Awards
Since 1925, Día del Niños, or Day of the Child, has been celebrated in Mexico. In 1996, award-winning author Pat Mora suggested a celebration of children’s literacy in conjunction with the Day of the Children. One year later, on April 30, 1997, El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros was born in El Paso, Texas. This celebration, which is now in its 10th year, emphasizes the importance of advocating literacy for every child regardless of linguistic and cultural background. According to Pat Mora, “Every day is El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros, and on April 30th, we celebrate a year of promoting bookjoy, linking all children to books, languages and cultures.”
This year’s celebration of El Día in the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati area is the second time public libraries and other literacy partners in the area have worked together to promote this event, which has several literacy-related goals:
Honoring children and childhood
Promoting literacy and the importance of linking all children to books, languages and cultures
Honoring home languages and cultures, and thus promoting bilingual and multilingual literacy in this multicultural nation, and global understanding through reading
Involving parents as valued members of the literacy team, and
Promoting library collection development that reflects our plurality.
Pat Mora - Pat Mora founded the family literacy initiative El día de los niños/El día de los libros, Children’s Day/Book Day.
