International Children’s Book Day takes place annually on 2nd April. It was Founded in 1967, and is observed on or around Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday, April 2 in order to to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children’s books. is sponsored by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), an international non-profit organization.
IBBY was founded in Zurich, Switzerland as a non-profit organization in 1953. Following a meeting organised by Jella Lepman in Munich, Germany, called International Understanding through Children’s Books. Which saw Many authors, publishers, teachers and philosophers attending and appointing a Committee to create the International Board on Books for Young People – IBBY. IBBY was registered as a non-profit organization in Zurich, Switzerland. The founding members included: Erich Kästner, Lisa Tetzner, Astrid Lindgren, Jo Tenfjord, Fritz Brunner, Bettina Hürlimann and Richard Bamberger. IBBY established an international award in 1956 and since then the Hans Christian Andersen Award has continued to be awarded every two years. International Children’s book day has six key aims:
- To give children everywhere the opportunity to have access to books with high literary and artistic standards.
- to encourage the publication and distribution of quality children’s books, especially in developing countries.
- to provide support and training for those involved with children and children’s literature
- to stimulate research and scholarly works in the field of children’s literature
- to protect and uphold the Rights of the Child according to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
- to promote international understanding through children’s books.
Today, it is composed of more than seventy National Sections all over the world. It represents countries with well-developed book publishing and literacy programmes, and other countries with only a few dedicated professionals who are doing pioneer work in children’s book publishing and promotion. IBBY’s policies and programmes are determined by its Executive Committee: ten people from different countries and a President, elected biennially by the National Sections at a General Assembly during the IBBY Congresses, held every two years. They work on a voluntary basis. The daily management of IBBY’s affairs is conducted from the IBBY Secretariat in Basel, Switzerland.
The National Sections are organized in many different ways and operate on national, regional and international levels. In countries that do not have a National Section, individual membership in IBBY is possible. The membership of the National Sections include authors and illustrators, publishers and editors, translators, journalists and critics, teachers, university professors and students, librarians and booksellers, social workers and parents. Annual dues from the National Sections are IBBY’s only source of regular income. Independent financing is necessary to support IBBY activities.
As a non-governmental organization with an official status in UNESCO and UNICEF, IBBY has a policy-making role as an advocate of children’s books. IBBY is committed to the principles of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by the United Nations in 1990. One of its main proclamations is the right of the child to a general education and to direct access to information. Thanks to IBBY’s insistence, the resolution includes an appeal to all nations to promote the production and distribution of children’s books.
IBBY also cooperates with many international organizations and children’s book institutions around the world and exhibits at the International Children’s Book Fair in Bologna and other international book fairs. Each year a different National Section of IBBY has the opportunity to be the international sponsor of ICBD. It decides upon a theme and invites a prominent author from the host country to write a message to the children of the world and a well-known illustrator to design a poster. These materials are used in different ways to promote books and reading. Many IBBY Sections promote International Children’s BOok Day through the media and organize activities in schools and public libraries. Often ICBD is linked to celebrations around children’s books and other special events that may include encounters with authors and illustrators, writing competitions or announcements of book awards. Many other activities often take place including writing competitions, announcements of book awards and events with authors of children’s literature
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