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Why this Day?
International Children’s Book Day celebrations are held on April 2 to commemorate one of the greatest children’s writers, Hans Christian Andersen who was born on the same day in 1805, in Odense, Denmark.
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Since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen's birthday, 2 April, International Children's Book Day (ICBD) is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's books
After his father’s death H. C. Andersen as he later came to be known as in his country, worked in a factory. He displayed a talent for poetry, publishing a volume of poetry in 1830. H.C. Andersen is famous for his fairytales “The Tin Soldier”, “The Tinderbox”, “The Ugly Duckling”, “The Snow Queen”, “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, and “The Little Mermaid”, which gained popularity and delighted children worldwide. These fairytales have been translated into many languages. Hans Christian Andersen died in 1875.
 Each year a different national section of IBBY, has the wonderful opportunity to be the international sponsor of the International Children’s Book Day. The host nation decides upon a theme, and invites a prominent author from the host country to create a message for the children of the world, and a well known illustrator is asked to design a poster. These messages are used in many and different ways to promote books and reading.
Thailand is the host country for 2008
It’s time for us to celebrate for children by participating and contributing in International Book Day especially made for them.
Such Days are significant also in the sense it generates love for reading among children particularly these days when reading for pleasure has been displaced by studying and cramming to get good marks in examinations. The Book Day would also diverted our children from TV and internet, which is best noted as chewing gum for the eyes are dangerous for it as well.
The Children’s Book Day also gets them interested in reading for pleasure so that they could enjoy reading and not inevitably for the information only which is no doubt the ultimate goal.
Each year the International Children’s Book Day is organised in different nations. This year Thailand is the host country for ICBD festival with the theme “Books Enlighten; Knowledge Delights.
International Children’s Book Day celebrations involve holding of special events like interesting encounters with children’s authors and illustrators. Writing competitions are organised in schools and libraries, book awards are announced, all this is done with a view to inspire and promote a love for reading and bring about awareness and understanding of other cultures through books.
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