5 recommendations for the International Children's Book Day

The International Board on Books for Young People has been celebrating the International Children's Book Day since 1967. This date, April 2, was chosen because it coincides with the birth of the writer Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), who created such emblematic works as The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid, The Emperor's New Clothes, Thumbelina, The Snow Queen, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, among many other stories that have accompanied the childhood of several generations.

Here are my recommendations to celebrate this day. 5 wonderful books with moving stories and fantastic illustrations.

My favorite picture book. This work by Tan addresses the theme of sadness. To get up one day from bed and not feel good, with a darkness that surpasses you, without knowing what to do; to see how everything passes by, to feel in an eternal wait, without anyone who understands you. All human beings come to feel this way, and Tan expresses this feeling through a few words and beautiful dreamlike illustrations. The important thing is that, in the end, we always have something to brighten our day.

Talking about losing a loved one is not easy. This book tells the story of a girl who must face the death of her grandfather, and decides to put her heart in a bottle to prevent suffering. However, she would realize that this was not the solution to her problems. A moving story beautifully illustrated by Oliver Jeffers.

As usual, Browne tells a beautiful story through his characteristic apes. A girl wants to spend more time with her father and have him take her to the zoo. One night, a gorilla fulfills her dream and takes her on adventures in the city at night. Browne's illustrations convey the girl's emotions, contrasting the moments she spends with her father (cold and distant) with the moments she shares with the gorilla (close and warm).

In this classic of Venezuelan literature, Orlando Araujo tells the story of Miguel Vicente, a boy who lives in a barrio from Caracas, works as a shoeshine boy, and dreams of being able to travel. One day, a man gives him a book, even though Miguel Vicente can't read. He keeps it as a treasure, for only through the book can he make the journeys he dreams of.

This book has its origins in terrible news: a 13-year-old boy committed suicide in Belgium because his classmates bullied him. As part of an institutional project to address the issue of discrimination, Gregie de Maeyer tells us the story of a boy who is teased for his redheaded curls, and he cuts them off. When they make fun of his hands, his feet, he mutilates himself. So he goes progressively until there is nothing left but his head and trunk; then he gets someone compassionate to help him rebuild himself. To accompany this shocking story, Koen Vanmechelen creates a wooden sculpture depicting the protagonist, and removes each of its parts as the story unfolds. A book highly recommended to talk about a topic that, although not easy to deal with, should be divulged, in order to nourish education and tolerance.