Friday 2 April 2021

International Children's Book Day

What is International Children’s Book Day?
First celebrated in 1967, International Children’s Book Day is held on the 2nd of April every year in order to promote children’s reading and books.

The date of the event signifies the birthday of Hans Christian Andersen: the famous Danish author responsible for such well-known stories as ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’, ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘The Ugly Duckling’.

The benefits of taking part in International Children’s Book Day are synonymous with the benefits of reading as a whole. Some of them include:

Brain exercise - reading engages and exercises the brain, helping it to better make neural connections.

Vocabulary improvement - the amount of terminology that a child uses and possesses can increase with regular reading.

Empathy and imagination - reading opens children up to new horizons, helping them think outside the box and engage with the outside world in ways they had not done previously.

Morale improvement - it should not be forgotten that reading is fun! Taking part in it will boost a child’s morale and uplift their mood.