News 1/2015

International Children’s Book Day 2015: Many Cultures, One Story

Every year on or around 2 April, activities to celebrate International Children’s Book Day take place around the world as we remember Hans Christian Andersen and his wonderful world of stories. Every year since 1967, an IBBY National Section sponsors a special poster and message to the children of the world. In 2015, the materials are from the United Arab Emirates. The message was written by author Marwa Al Aqroubi in the form of a poem for children. The poster was designed by Iranian-born artist Nasim Abaleian. Copies of the poster and message can be ordered from IBBY UAE at www.uaebby.org.ae or from info@uaebby.org.ae

• 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 by all

• In different voices

• In different colors

• Yet it remains unchanged…

• Beginning…

• Plot…

• And end…

• It is the same story we all know and love

• WE all heard it

• In different versions by different voices

• Yet it is always the same

• There is a hero… a princess… and 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.

The IBBY EC 2014-16. From left to right: Ellis Vance, Luzmaria Stauffenegger, Patsy Aldana, Mingzhou Zhang, Timotea Vrablova, Serpil Ural, Liz Page, Angela Lebedeva, Akoss Ofori-Mensah, Vagn Plenge, Sunji Jamba, Ferelith Hordon, Wally de Doncker, Azucena Galindo, Hasmig Chahinian (VP 2012-14), and Evie Freeman. Not present: Björn Sundmark, Bookbird Editor.

(Photo: Junko Yokota)

IBBY PRESIDENT: Wally de Doncker from Belgium

Wally served as a member of the IBBY EC from 2008 to 2012, with the term 2010-2012 as Vice President. He has been the IBBY Liaison with the European Union since 2012. For many years, Wally has been a valued and active board member of the Flemish Branch of IBBY Belgium. Wally is a former teacher, an author, and a children’s literature specialist. He taught at a school in Dendermonde, Belgium until 2001 before becoming a full-time writer; since then, his books have reached readers in more than thirteen countries in Europe and beyond.

HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN JURY PRESIDENT: Patsy Aldana from Canada

Patsy was born and brought up in Guatemala and attended school in the United States. In 1971 she moved to Canada and has been there ever since. Pasty founded the publishing house Groundwood Books in 1978 and remained its publisher until 2012. She served as an EC member from 1996 to 2002 and again from 2004 to 2006 as vice president. Patsy was elected IBBY president in 2006 and served until 2010. During her time on the EC and as president, she was instrumental in establishing the IBBY-Yamada Fund as well as the IBBY Children in Crisis program.

THE FOLLOWING WERE ELECTED AS MEMBERS OF THE 2014-2016 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

Evie Freeman, from the USA, is a Special Assistant for International Projects at the Ohio State University at Mansfield College of Education and Human Ecology. Evie has served as co-editor of the Journal of Children’s Literature and Bookbird: A Journal of International Children’s Literature. As co-editor of Bookbird, she was an ex-officio member of the EC from 2001 to 2004. She is also the Secretary of the United States Board on Books for Young People.

Azucena Galindo, from Mexico, was the coordinator of the 2014 congress. Since joining IBBY Mexico, she has combined on-going studies of children’s literature and reading promotion with her previous professional experience in order to expand the impact of IBBY Mexico’s programs...