Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities, ideas, strategies to help PreK-3, 4-8, and 9-12 students learn to read.
El día de los niños/El día de los libros
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El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Day of the Child/Day of the Book) is a celebration based on childhood and literacy that began in 1997. Borrowing from the traditional Mexican holiday "El día de los niños," the American version expanded to include literacy when acclaimed author Pat Mora took up the cause in 1997. A year later, the U.S. Congress officially designated April 30 as "Day of the Child."
Celebrate El día de los niños/El día de los libros
Send an e-card
Catch a kid reading… and show how proud you are by sending a Día e-card to a child, friend, or relative. This free e-card was created by Colorín Colorado using acclaimed illustrator Maya Christina Gonzalez's stunning artwork from Nana's Big Surprise, published by Children's Book Press. The card is available with English or Spanish text.
Five Fun Activity Sheets
Print out these activity sheets, available in English and Spanish, to encourage kids to have fun with words and letters on April 30!
- Download in English (788K PDF)*
- Download in Spanish (948K PDF)*
El día de los niños/El día de los libros: Resources for Librarians, Teachers, and Parents
Background Information/Planning a Celebration
- Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC):
Official El día de los niños/El día de los libros website - ALSC: Free Día bilingual brochures available for
download featuring Dora the Explorer* - ALSC: List of Día celebrations by state
- Texas Library Association: Día Celebration Toolkit and Resources for Teachers and Librarians
- El Paso Public Library: Día Celebration Ideas
- Criticas Magazine Article: "El día de los niños/
El día de los libros — Celebrating Children and Books" - National Latino Children's Institute: Día Celebration Website
Meet Pat Mora, Founder of Día
Celebrate El día de los niños/El día de los libros with founder and children's book author, Pat Mora!
- A letter from Pat Mora
- Pat Mora's website
- Article by Pat Mora: "Celebrating Children and Books"
- From Pat Mora: Suggested Día Activities
- Video clip§ of Pat Mora talking about Día
(also available in Spanish§) - Full video interview§ with Pat Mora
(also available in Spanish§) - Books by Pat Mora to read on Día
More Author Interviews
Don't miss these great video author interviews with more Latino/a authors from Colorín Colorado and Reading Rockets!
Interviews in English
- Alma Flor Ada
- Francisco X. Alarcón
- George Ancona
- Pat Muñoz Ryan (from Reading Rockets)
Interviews in Spanish
Bilingual Reading Resources for Families
Check out these booklists, reading activities, and websites to see lots of bilingual resources for the entire family!
- Colorín Colorado: Recommended books by notable Hispanic and Latin American children's authors (also in Spanish)
- Colorín Colorado: Parent Reading Tips in 11 languages!
- Colorín Colorado: Fun Reading Activities (also in Spanish)
- Reading Is Fundamental (RIF): Leading to Reading
- Sesame Street Beginnings: Talk, Read, Write!
- Scholastic: Leer y Serás
- Pierce County Library (WA): Early Literacy Tip Sheets
Bilingual Activities for Children
If you're looking for bilingual activities for your Día celebration, these websites offer songs, games, riddles, jokes, tongue twisters, and more!
- Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Bilingual Activities, Songs, and Games*
- Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Suggested bilingual programs for libraries
- San Antonio Library: Bilingual jokes, proverbs, riddles, songs, games, and tongue twisters for children
Related Classroom Activities from Colorín Colorado
Teachers: These resources offer some great ELL classroom activities, as well as some basic Spanish phrases and a list of Spanish-English cognates.
Retelling Stories: Retelling stories allows students to learn to organize and describe events, which enhances reading comprehension. This classroom application offers a fun, non-threatening way to read in English and have ELLs understand the meaning.
Using Cognates to Develop Comprehension in English: For Spanish-speaking ELLs, cognates are an obvious bridge to the English language. Discussion of cognates is a great way to celebrate literacy in two languages for El día de los niños/El día de los libros. Here's a helpful list of cognates* to get started.
Learn some Spanish:* Even if it is just some common words and greetings, using Spanish with parents will make them feel welcome at a Día celebration or whenever they visit your classroom. For starters, here are a few common classroom words and phrases in Spanish.
* To view this file, you'll need a copy of Acrobat Reader. Most computers already have it installed. If yours does not, you can download it now.
§ To play this clip, you'll need a copy of the free RealOne Player. Most computers already have it installed, or you can download it now.
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