KBR welcomes our dear friend, My Book Corner creator, Emma Perry, with this moving report on this year's International Book Giving Day.
You do know that books have taken over 14 February, right? Forget those overpriced roses & clichéd pink cards, 14 February is all about getting books into the hands of as many children as possible. It's International Book Giving Day.
I loved every single moment at the helm of this second year of IBGD. Why?
Because this happened:
- In Nigeria, One Child One Book took to the streets in Lagos and gifted books to children walking down the street.
- In Nova Scotia (Canada) a Book Fairy was spotted delivering books to children. In Uganda, many children were presented with the first book they could truly call their own.
- In Cape Town, South Africa a new library has been created for children in a safe, violence-free zone.
- In Australia, the Itty Bitty Book Van gifted books to pre-schools in Geelong.
- In Romania the Bartók Béla Elméleti Líceum Secondary School gifted books to their pupils.
- In Minnesota, USA over 1,000 books gifted to kids at a local elementary school ... these acts of unadulterated generosity represent the very tip of the iceberg.
These are just some of a huge range of generous acts that helped to ensure IBGD’s success.
Did you see this year's official poster? Picture book aficionados will no doubt spot Chris Haughton's unique style.
Gus Gordon kindly took the time to produce a wonderful bookplate featuring a book-reading badger (underwater no less!), whilst Anna Walker's lovely bears graced the most divine bookmark. These were all ready to download and tuck into the books people gifted on the day.
Oh, and did you see those winning bookmarks from the competition posted on the 52-Week Illustration Challenge??
On 14 February 2015, a worldwide community of book-loving people came together to get books into the hands of as many children as possible. And they achieved that. Brilliantly. Thank you. Thank YOU.
Here's to 14th February 2016.
Personally I can't wait!!
Emma Perry is a freelance writer, reviewer, founder of My Book Corner (@mybookcorner) and organiser of International Book Giving Day. She studied English Literature at Kent University and teaches at primary schools in her spare time.
