International Children's Book Day

Since 1967, International Children's Book Day (ICBD) has been celebrated on April 2nd, on Hans Christian Andersen's birthday. It's a day to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's and teen's books.

The philosophy behind International Children's Book Day 2012 is that a story can be passed down through generations and preserved for years and years, and across multiple cultures.

"When we read, tell or listen to stories out loud, we’re also continuing an ancient ritual that has played a fundamental role in the history of civilization: creating community. Cultures, past eras and generations come together around these stories to tell us that we are all one, the Japanese, Germans, and Mexicans; those that lived in the seventeenth century and us today, reading our stories on the Internet; grandparents, parents and children. Stories fulfill all human beings in the same way because, despite our enormous differences, we are all, deep down, the stories’ protagonists."

Here are some stories, in English, that were originally told in other languages. Why not check one out, and get yourself connected to another time and place?

A Time of Miracles by Anne-Laure Bondoux

Soldier Bear by Bibi Dumon Tak

A Faraway Island by Annika Thor

The Lily Pond by Annika Thor (This is the sequel to A Faraway Island.)

Departure Time by Truus Matti

Nothing by Janne Teller

Eidi by Bodil Bredsdorff

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi

Moribito II : Guardian of the Darkness by Nahoko Uehashi (This is the sequel to Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit.)

Tiger Moon by Antonia Michaelis

For more international books, check out information on Batchelder Award Winners. The Batchelder Award is given to the most outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States. Click her for a list of winners of this award from 1968-present.