Celebrating Día’s 25th Anniversary

What is Día, opens a new window? This celebration began in 1996 when author Pat Mora discovered that many Latin American countries celebrated el día de los niños/Children’s Day on April 30. She loved the idea of celebrating children and wanted to bring something like it to the United States. Pat combined this celebration of children with literacy and bilingualism, and the result was a new holiday: El día de los niños/El día de los libros.       

Let’s celebrate the rich diversity, culture and languages we find when we dive into stories. Explore these books with your family. 

In Drawn Together it seems like grandson and grandfather have nothing in common. Grandpa speaks only Thai, and grandson speaks only English. Once they pick up their drawing materials, they find their own special way to communicate with each other. The stunning illustrations will draw you in to their story, too.

Kiss by kiss: Count your way up to 10 in this dual-language English and Plains Cree board book with beautiful photographs of families sharing some kisses.

Laxmi's Mooch: Young Laxmi becomes self-conscious about her mooch, Hindi for mustache, and her hair on her body when she's teased at recess. Her Mummy and Papa remind her that she comes from a long line of strong women with mooch. This sweet and powerful book is jam packed with body positivity messages, Hindi words and a beautiful portrayal of a South Asian family.

Lia & Luís: This cute picture book features twins Luís and Lia who find themselves arguing over who has more of their favorite Brazilian snacks. Find a great glossary of Portuguese words used in the story and additional math activities about measurement and comparison at the back of the book.

Maria Had A Little Llama: Follow Maria and her llama’s adventures in school in this bilingual English and Spanish version of a classic rhyme. Illustrations highlight Peruvian landscape and culture.

Nana Akua Goes to School: It's Grandparent's Day at school. Even though Zura wants to take her "favorite person in the whole universe," her grandmother Nana Akua, she's worried what kids will say about Nana's tribal markings on her face. But Nana Akua is proud of her markings from her family's tradition in Ghana. One of CPL's Best of the Best Picture Books of 2020, opens a new window, this picture book reminds us that our cultural differences make us unique and strong.

For more Día recommended titles, browse the Día 2021: 25 Picture Books to Celebrate booklist and visit Día’s, opens a new window website.