The history of Día de los Niños / Día de los Libros
Children's Day / Book Day

PLCMC has celebrated Día since 1998. In 2007, with support from Pat Mora and the North Carolina State Library, PLCMC began to expand the promotion of Día state-wide to include Día workshops and surveys for librarians and educators in North Carolina and state-wide webinar training.

The following timeline illustrates the growth and expansion of Día from a small storytelling celebration into the impactful, community cultural celebration it is today.

Día through the years:

1998 - “Celebrate Children Celebrate Books!” The Library celebrated Día for the first time! The small celebration was hosted at our Main Library: 310 North Tryon Street and community volunteers read to children representing 50 families. Other activities included Tia Panchita’s Storytime and a mini piñata made from children’s books.

1999 - “Bingo Libro”. The Library again celebrated Día at the Main Library location. Over 100 families participated in Bingo Libro, a library game that introduced patrons young and old to library resources. The celebration also included fiestas and puppet shows.

2000 - The Library celebrated Día at Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation’s Grady Cole Center. Mayor Pat McCory proclaimed the last Saturday in April as “Día de los niños / Día de los libros Day” in Charlotte, North Carolina. The celebration was supported by several local agencies including Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department, Chemical Dependency Center, Programa Esperanza, Catholic Social Services, The National Conference for Community and Justice, Bilingual Preschool, Mi Casa Su Casa, The Mint Museum, Burger King and Discovery Place. The activities honored several cultures through plays, puppet shows, music and games from around the world. Over 300 families participated in this literacy activity.

View photos from past Día celebrations!

2001 - The Library celebrated Día at the Main Library location and expanded to twenty-two additional library branches. Each branch developed a unique Día de Los Ninos bookmark and hosted a bilingual book display. The Main library celebration was a children’s festival with a farm animal theme. Over 100 families enjoyed plays featuring animals and made animal books to take home. Ki Kirikis, a performing group composed of library staff members; performed Latin based plays at the Main Library’s Día festival and at several library branches.

2002 - The Library again celebrated Día at Main Library and twenty-two branches. During this year’s celebration, the Library sponsored a five-month Día project with the Bilingual Preschool called “La Fiesta de Enriqueta.” The project was a published book created by the parents and children from our local bilingual preschool. One hundred copies of the book were printed and distributed. In addition to the project, the Library’s performing group Ki Kirikis, presented two bilingual plays: “The Lizard and the Sun” and “Borreguita and Coyote.” Over 150 families enjoyed the performances.

In 2002, the Library also began its commitment to promote Día statewide by presenting a workshop about Día at the North Carolina Library Association regional conference.

2003 – Again, the Library celebrated Día at Main Library and twenty-two branches. This year’s celebration took the form of a traditional festival with hosting several activities including book displays, bilingual storytelling, piñatas, arts and crafts. Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department and a local radio station, Radio Lider were our community partners. Through their generous donations, all participants received an age-appropriate book along with other prizes. Two lucky winners won a new bicycle. Five-hundred people attended the event, the largest attendance to-date.

2004 - Again, the Library celebrated Día at the Main Library and twenty-two branches. The Library received a $500.00 grant from El Pueblo Foundation, and funds were used to buy books for all program participants. Educational workshops were added to this year’s festival, and community agencies such as Child Care Resources, Inc., Discovery Place and the Nature Museum supported the celebration with a variety of children’s craft activities. Five hundred families participated in the celebration.

2005 - The Library celebrated Día at its new ImaginOn facility, a special location just for kids and teens. With a strong effort to embrace all nationalities, the celebration reflected the diversity in the Charlotte community. Puppet shows, crafts, storytelling and music contained an international theme, and all participants received a free age-appropriate book. Over 1000 people enjoyed the celebration.

2006 - The Library again celebrated Día at ImaginOn and continued the incorporating themes of community diversity with internationally-themed puppet shows, crafts, storytelling and music. The celebration featured local author and illustrator Irania Patterson and Catherine Courtlandt-McElvane. Due to a generous grant from Target, all participants received a free age appropriate book. Over 1000 people enjoyed the celebration.

2007 - The Library celebrated Día at ImaginOn on April 28, 2007. Thanks to funding form Target, this year’s celebration featured author Lulu Delacre who conducted several teacher workshops and was the guest speaker at the main celebration. The day-long celebration included drama workshops, dancing, crafts and storytelling from around the world, and a presentation from the Gray Seal Puppets. More then 1000 families participated in the celebration.

2008 - The Library celebrated Día at ImaginOn on Sunday, April 27, 2008. The celebration featured author Yuyi Morales. Born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico, Morales is an artist, author, puppet maker, Brazilian folk dancer, and former host of a Spanish-language storytelling radio show. The celebration included a city-wide illustration contest that honored family traditions. It also featured several multicultural activities including dancers from India, China, Japan and Latin America; Arabic writing and crafts; and a karate and mime performance. Public television characters Mya and Miguel made a special guest appearance. Over 1000 families attended the celebration.