 Are you planning to celebrate the 2025 International Children's Book Day April 2?
Download our digital materials to decorate your event, share posts about it and tag IBBY: @ibby.international (Facebook & Instagram), @ibbyint (Twitter). #ICBD25 In 2025, International Children's Book Day (ICBD) is sponsored by IBBY-Netherlands and the poster is made by two Dutch creators of children’s books. The theme of the 2025 International Children's Book Day is The freedom of imagination, and the motto is the last sentence of the poem ‘The Language of Pictures’: ‘Make pictures for my poem, and please feel free: these words belong to you even though they came from me.’ The poem comes from the illustrated poetry collection Alle wensen van de wereld (2021) by Rian Visser and illustrator Janneke Ipenburg. This book was awarded a Zilveren Griffel in the Netherlands and the Gouden Poëziemedaille (Gold Poetry Medal) in Belgium. The Freedom of Imagination In high-quality children’s books, the reader’s imagination is kindled and developed. These books help children to explore their imagination, to develop their creativity and to see the world in a new way. Good books invite readers to interpret the words for themselves, making the story their own. You can download lesson suggestions (in English and Dutch) based on the theme for three different age groups (ages 4–6, 6–9, and 9–14) on the IBBY-Netherlands website. International Drawing Competition Make a drawing, painting or some other kind of art based on the poem ‘The Language of Pictures’. Then take a photograph of your art and (optionally) a photograph of yourself with your artwork and email it to your national IBBY section or directly to IBBY-Netherlands: [email protected]. All the children around the world who are taking part in International Children’s Book Day are invited to join in! IBBY-Netherlands will show all the entries on their website and select the winners, who will be rewarded with a package of books for their school. This virtual exhibition is our way of celebrating the freedom of imagination. The Language of Pictures Rian Visser Translation: Laura Watkinson Can you draw pictures for the words, for the things I say? Then draw part of the picture, cold, wind, a lump in your throat or tough luck, draw a cough, a sigh, the scent of fresh bread, time, a moment, the beginning or the end of a plan, draw the place wherever, the place where never, the place where soon something is going to happen, draw the pain of a push, the taste of the sea. There is so much that I want to see, like love, one day, and maybe for me. Make pictures for my poem, and please feel free: these words belong to you even though they came from me. |