Pat wrote about witnessing the special connection Spanish-speaking children make with books that include their culture and language. Her piece was posted on both the Lee & Low Books blog and the First Book blog.
Lee and Low Books is a partner with First Book in The Stories for All Project. Read more about the project and its impact.
Yum is one of the titles being donated as part of the Stories for All Project.
¡Gracias! ¡Gracias!
I end our 4th Annual Díapalooza with the same theme I used on April 1: Mille grazie. Obrigado. Danke. Kitos. Merci. Thanks! Thousands of children and families across the country have enjoyed Día celebrations this month thanks to the efforts of Día organizers, Día leaders such as the Dynamos and Author & Illustrator Advocates, and thanks to many of you.
April 2014, we’ll celebrate Día’s 18th anniversary. In the coming year, become a daily Día Ambassador. Join us in making Día a daily commitment to link all children to books, languages and cultures. Be an enthusiastic advocate for children and literacy. Excite your family, friends and colleagues about valuing all children and insuring that the children in their lives daily enjoy books—diverse books ;)
Here’s a look at some of the recent or future Día events happening across the country.
Kentucky & Ohio
Public libraries on each side of the river
Ohio
Ninth annual event
Illinois
Focus on books and literacy
California
Bilingual storytime and free books
Oregon
Music literacy
Washington
Storybook parade
Kansas
Highlighting Mexican, Native American and Filipino cultures
Virginia
Author Meg Medina
Arizona
Monica Brown and Rafael Lopez at World of Words
North Carolina
Woodhill Elementary School Media Center
Illinois
Games and activities based on classic children’s books
This past weekend Pat spoke at the Clinton Presidential Center to school children in conjunction with a literacy initiative of Arkansas’ First Lady, Ginger Beebee.
As part of the Arkansas Literary Festival Pat spoke at the third Book Fiesta, Día celebration at the new Children’s Library in Little Rock (part of the Central Arkansas Library System.)
Children’s Library & Learning Center, Little Rock AR
I’ve enjoyed gardening in the Chihuahua desert for many years. Both gardening and writing help me notice the natural world around me: the hills, mountains, cactus, crows, hawks, rabbits and lizards with more attention. I revel in our earth’s diversity, the vast array of roses and hydrangeas, brussel sprouts and carrots, long horns and giraffes, tortoises and manatees. The wonder of our planet fills our senses, and—the human family: short and tall, fair and dark; our amazing languages and cultures—our beautiful array. Twenty years ago in Nepantla: Essays from the Land in the Middle, I asked why we’re more interested in birds of color than people of color? Today I ask, are we becoming wiser?
Let’s savor and protect the world around us, our shared home. Let’s plant trees and value the diverse children who will inherit this land.
Photo credits: Desert Flowers, Frank Carey/Creative Commons
Northern Chihuahuan Desert, Graela/Creative Commons
