Frost may be on the ground, but planning for spring library programs is well underway! Now is the perfect time to add a program celebrating international children’s books to your April selection of programs and lesson plans for children.

USBBY (United States Board on Books for Young People) has been awarded the sponsorship of the 2013 International Children’s Book Day, traditionally celebrated on April 2, Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday. Program ideas, a poster created by artist Ashley Bryan and poet Pat Mora, and much more are available now at:

http://internationalchildrensbookday.wordpress.com/

Here are some of the easy-to-replicate programs already available on the site:

Monsters of the World submitted by Cristy Burne

Featuring books from Australia, New Zealand and Africa, this program appeals to children’s fascination with monsters and requires little more than your fabulous read-aloud skills, easy to find international books, and pencils and paper!

International Playground Games submitted by Lisa Herskowitz

Botswana, Jamaica, Romania, and Argentina are just a few of the countries you can travel to in this fun and easy program. Take a look!

Do you have a great idea for celebrating International Children’s Book Day? Please share it with your colleagues around the world by submitting a program idea online.