Blog by Chien, Polina, Tandy, Yasmeen, and the Spanish Language Programming Team
Día is held on April 30, and is short for Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros (Children's Day/Books Day). Día originally began as Día del Niño, or Children’s Day, a joyous holiday celebrated in many Latin American cultures. On this day, children are honored with games, activities, performances, toys, and prizes to enjoy the wonders of childhood. Grown to be a highly celebrated event, schools often enjoy the day with field trips, picnics, fairs, or minimal days to give kids opportunities to have fun!
On April 30, 1997, Día del Niño officially became Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros (Día), transforming this day into a celebration of both children and their books. Día takes Día del Niño one step further by recognizing that children come from various backgrounds, cultures, and languages, and their books should reflect this. As a result, Día has become a day focusing on children, families, early literacy, diversity, and culture.
For more Día information: ALA Día History
Celebrate with AC Library!
In celebration of Día, AC library will host in-person and virtual multicultural events for children and families throughout April! Keep a lookout for bookmarks, crafts, and giveaway books available at each AC Library location while supplies last.
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Germar the Magician (Magic Show)
- Albany Library - Saturday, April 20 at 12:00 pm
- Union City Library - Thursday, April 25 at 6:00 pm
- Doodle It! en Español - Virtual - Thursday, April 18 at 3:30 pm
- Storytime with Ms. Jean Ficklin at Newark Library - Saturday, April 27 at 10:30 am
- Hora de Cuentos en Español – Virtual - Tuesday, April 30 at 3:30 pm
eResources for Early Literacy
Día recognizes that literacy and learning is a joint effort between children and caregivers. Below are some electronic resources to help build up early literacy skills.
- ReadyRosie: This free online resource provides several quick videos on how to apply early literacy skills in everyday situations. From going grocery shopping to playing at the park, there are learning opportunities everywhere that will help children develop valuable early literacy skills. Available in English and Spanish.
- Early Literacy Calendar: This calendar features daily early literacy activities that families can work on together. These activities focus on early literacy skills of reading, writing, talking, counting, singing, and playing. Available in English and Spanish.
- Overdrive Kids’ Reading Room: This Overdrive feature provides eBooks and eAudiobooks for kids. Some of these books are also available in community languages including Spanish, Chinese, French, and more.
- Hoopla Binge Passes: This Hoopla feature provides a bundle of eBooks and/or audiobooks in categories, such as STEAM, world learning, social-emotional learning, and more. There is also a Spanish children’s books collection.
- LOTE4Kids: Check out free read-along eBooks (picture books) in over 50 languages. This electronic resource now includes American Sign Language, British Sign Language, and Australian Sign Language.
- Discover and Go: This program allows members to use their library card to request free or reduced cost tickets to museums, science centers, zoos, theatres, and other local cultural institutions.
Learning Together
As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. Below are some additional resources to support parents and caregivers.
- Parenting Collection: Find this collection at your local library. Browse through books for kids and adults on various parenting topics, such as developmental stages, health and wellness, social-emotional learning, and more. Available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and more.
- Family Paths: This nonprofit organization provides free, confidential mental health and parenting support for families. Family Path also provides a free Parenting Stress Helpline, with access to a translation service in hundreds of languages.
- Additional family/parenting resources: https://aclibrary.org/families/
Reading Together
Día is also Book Day. Below are booklists featuring multicultural and multilingual books to celebrate the diverse backgrounds and cultures of children around the world.
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