April 2 is International Children’s Book Day! Since 1967, Children’s Book Day has been celebrated as a day to inspire a passion of reading and to call attention to children’s books. Schools, libraries and community organizations across the globe participate by bringing families together to read, promoting reading at an early age and raising awareness about the importance of literacy in molding the young minds of the future.

For centuries, the importance of reading has been taught in schools. Reading provides kids with a therapeutic effect and a sense of escapism and allows them to discover stories on their own terms in language they understand. Reading encourages kids to use their imagination, enhances language development, builds their vocabulary and reasoning skills, and can foster bilingualism when families read stories in their heritage language.

Kids can take today as an opportunity to learn about and read books by Illinois-based children’s book authors such as:

Mistie Psaledas. “The Truth About the Tooth” is a story about diversity, creativity and imagination of different tooth fairy legends.

Shel Silverstein. “Where the Sidewalk Ends” is a collection of poems and illustrations that explores themes of imagination, humans’ relationship with nature, and the divide between adulthood and childhood.

Gwendolyn Brooks. “Bronzeville Boys and Girls” is a collection of 34 poems that celebrate the joy of childhood in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood and beyond.

Kim Moldofsky. In “Amelia Earhart: A Graphic Novel,” readers discover some of Earhart’s incredible achievements before she disappeared on her attempted flight around the world.

These are just a few of the many great children’s books to be celebrated today. Join the festivities by picking up a new book or revisiting an old favorite!