El Dia de Los Ninos/Libros celebration!

El Dia de Los Ninos/Libros (Day of the Child/Book), or Dia as it is more commonly known, is celebrated every year on April 30, or as close to that date as a library can get. It is a celebration of children, families and reading, and promotes literacy in all cultures. I attended a celebration last year and participated in another for my internship, and both were a lot of fun in very different ways. The one I went to as a visitor was centered on bilingual Spanish/English stories and featured a lot of Hispanic entertainment such as Flamenco and Salsa dancers. The one I actively participated in was more multicultural, with tables representing Asia, Africa, Mexico and the Middle East. It included crafts from each region, as well as food. We had the most adorable children (as young as 2 or 3) do Mexican traditional dances, Belly Dancers and a local karate school did a demonstration. Dia has been going on for 15 years this year and was started by an initiative proposed by author Pat Mora. My local library system got a mini-grant to do a festival this year and they are celebrating it at one of the more culturally diverse branches. 

This is the 2011 booklist and website reference list, in case you are interested in starting a Dia program in your area: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/initiatives/diadelosninos/Info%20Sheet_FINALDia.pdf