- ChLA International Committee
International Children's Book Day 2015
Join the ChLA International Committee in celebrating International Children's Book Day (ICBD) on April 2nd!
About ICBD
ICBD is a worldwide celebration of reading and children's literature meant to inspire and promote a love of children's books.
History
International Children's Book Day has been celebrated on or around Hans Christian Andersen's birthday, April 2nd, since 1967. Each year a different National Section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) selects 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.
ICBD 2015
International Children's Book Day 2015 is sponsored by the UAE with the chosen theme "Many Cultures One Story." Prominent children's literature proponent Marwa Al Aqroubi penned the annual message and illustrator Nasim Abaeian designed the poster.
Marwa Obaid Rashid Al Aqroubi is one of the prominent figures in children’s book industry in the UAE and holds the position of President of the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) Executive Board, one of the leading organisations concerned with promoting children’s culture, fostering reading culture, and encouraging the book industry’s professionals to develop their work.
She is a significant contributor to promoting the Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature, one of the largest and most important Arabic children’s literature awards, in addition to the Read, Dream, Create reading campaign initiative – launched by the UAEBBY to support children’s ability to read, write, and be creative. As part of this initiative, she frequently participates in reading sessions for children with the aim of strengthening children’s interest in books.
At the international cultural level, she is a member in the Advisory Committee of the Sharjah-IBBY Fund, and shares its objectives of supporting the creation of a culture of reading and providing books for children whose lives have been disrupted through war, civil disorder, or natural disasters in the region of Central Asia and North Africa. She recently participated in the high level visit made by the emirate of Sharjah to the Emirati-Jordanian Refugee Camp in support of Syrian refugee children, and was involved in the opening of the 3000 book “Big Heart” Library for the camp’s children.
Al Aqroubi completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Information Science from Zayed University in Dubai and held the position of Business Development Manager at the Executive Office of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi. Since publishing her first book Ahmed El Helou (Sweet Ahmed), in which she takes a journey to explore UAE’s heritage and traditions, the world of writing children’s books and promoting children’s culture has become her first interest.
About Nasim Abaeian: Born in 1980 in Isfahan Iran, Nasim spent her elementary school and childhood in Genova Italy, in an artistic ambience and full of inspiration. In 2003 she earned a bachelor degree in Visual Communication from the American University Of Sharjah, and headed to the United States to complete a master’s degree in illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Today, Nasim is a faculty at the Art and Design department of Zayed University and works as a freelance illustrator for children’s books.
2015 Message - Many Cultures One Story
“We speak many languages and come from different backgrounds, Yet we share the same stories”
International stories... folklore stories
It’s the same story told to us all
In different voices
In different colors
Yet it remains unchanged...
Beginning...
Plot...
And End...
It is the same story we all know & love
We all heard it
In different versions by different voices
Yet it is always the same
There is a hero... a princess... & a villain
No matter their language Their names
Or their faces
It is always the same Beginning,
Plot
And Ending
Always that hero...that princess and that villain
Unchanged through centuries
They keep us company
They whisper to us in our dreams
They lull us to sleep
Their voices long gone
But they live in our hearts forever
For they bring us together in a land of mystery and imagination
So that all different cultures melt into One Story
To learn more about the International Committee's relationship with IBBY and our other partnering organizations, visit our Resources Page.
How are you celebrating International Children's Book Day?