International Children's Book Day (April 2nd ,2005)
On Friday, April 1st, 2005 many classes of our school visited the local library in our municipality. The school organised this visit as 2nd April is the international day of children’s book.
The International Children's Book Day is celebrated each year on 2nd April. Each year a different country presents a message and a poster to the whole world. Since 1967, on Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday (April 2nd, 1805), April 2nd is celebrated to inspire the love of reading.
In 2004 the Greek department of IBBY was responsible for this celebration.
In 2005 the honoured country is India. Manorama Jafa, one of the most famous writers of children’s literature in India presented her work. She was inspired from the Indian mythology. She wrote “Books are our magic eyes. They give us knowledge, information and show us the way through the difficult paths of life”
The poster was created by Jogdish Josh. He was inspired from the Indian mythology, too.
THE MESSAGE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION OF BOOKS 2.4.2005
In ancient India, lived a boy named Kapil. He liked reading very much. He was wondering about many things like: why is the sun around? Why is the moon changing its shape? Why are the trees growing? Why are the stars falling from the sky?
Kapil was trying to find the answers in many books that famous writers had written. One day while he was reading a book his mother gave him a basket with food and told him: “Leave the book off and go to give the food to your father. He is very hungry”. Kapil was walking through the path in the forest and was still reading the book. Suddenly he hit his toe on a rock, lost his balance and fell down. He started bleeding but he got up and continued reading the book and walking. After a while he fell down as he hit on a rock for a second time. He was wounded again but he was still reading the book.
Suddenly there was a shine like a flash of lightning. He heard a woman laughing. He saw a beautiful woman dressed in white smiling to him. She had four hands and was sitting on a white swan. She told him: “I’m impressed by your thirst for knowledge. I would like to offer you a present. Can you tell me what would you like to give you?” The boy couldn’t believe that the woman who was standing in front of him was the goddess Sarravati, the goddess of knowledge! He answered: “Please, give me a second pair of eyes for my legs, only in this way I could walk and read!” “Your wish will come true” she said and disappeared in the clouds. Kapil looked at his legs. He was very happy. There were two eyes on his legs. He continued walking and reading. When he grew up, after many years, he was one of the most wise men in India. His name was “ Tsaksoupand” which means the man with eyes on his legs.
Sarasvati is the Hindu Goddess of all arts: music, painting, sculpture, dance and writing. She is credited with presenting the gift of writing to mankind so that her songs could be written down and preserved.
Manorama Jafa