April 2 – International Children’s Book Day

Happy International Children’s Book Day!

This is a day Celebrate Every Day with a Picture Book is super excited to promote!

Children’s Book Day was named to honor the anniversary of Hans Christian Anderson’s birthday in 1805.  Many of you know him by his fairy tales which have been published in over 125 languages worldwide.  He is also a poet and author of novels, plays, and travelogues. Hans Christian Anderson is a national treasure of Denmark, and an international treasure around the world.  He is probably best known for his fairy tales, The Princess and the Pea, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina and The Ugly Duckling.

The Hans Christian Anderson Awards are presented to a living author or illustrator whose complete works have made a lasting contribution to children’s literature.

This year, Jacqueline Woodson, of the United States, has been nominated as one of the recipients of the award. I have not heard yet, who the winner is, but I do know Jacqueline Woodson’s work and hope you get a chance to read some of her books as well. Her picture book The Other Side, is a beautifully told story of two girls living on opposite sides of a fence in, who might as well be living on opposite sides of the world.  They break the racial barriers and learn to become friends.

Visit her website and listen to her talk about writing and her work.

http://www.jacquelinewoodson.com

Just found out who the winners for 2014 Hans Christian Anderson Awards are:  Author Nahoko Uehashi from Japan and illustrator Roger Mello from Brazil.   You can read more about them and the Hans Christian Anderson Awards on the link below.

http://www.ibby.org/index.php?id=1368

And, on another coincidence, I just saw Disney’s Frozen, today. (Yes, I know I’m late to the party.) Found out in the credits that the movie is based on a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, The Snow Queen.  No wonder he’s a legend among children’s authors!