International Children’s Book Day (ICBD) 2022: Highlights

It was an honour—and joy—for IBBY Canada to sponsor International Children’s Book Day 2022!

To open the celebrations, we were gratified to receive comments from Her Excellency the Right Honourable Governor General Mary Simon at the launch event of International Children’s Book Day. If you missed the launch, you can read the comments.

In thinking of highlights, top of the list would be the opportunity to collaborate with the amazing Julie Flett and Richard Van Camp, who were so generous with their time and talents—and whose words and images travelled the world so beautifully and provided such inspiration. Thank you, Julie and Richard!

International Children’s Book Day (ICBD) 2022 was an opportunity to make new friends and to live the IBBY mission of bringing books and children together. The launch event on March 25th with IBBY New Zealand/Storylines did both. We are grateful to all the partners and participants in the program. We would like to give special recognition to the kid readers—who just rocked it!

  • Ada Cassin reading from Oakville, Ontario: The Girl and the Wolf, written by Katherena Vermette, illustrated by Julie Flett and published by Theytus Books
  • Grade 7 Theatre Skills Class at Jonah Amitnaaq Secondary SchoolAmanda Amarook, Dontae Paungrat, Dustin Quinangnaq, Elizabeth Smadu and Kayden Tootoo—reading from Baker Lake, Nunavut: The Origin of Day and Night, written by Paula Ikuutaq Rumbolt, illustrated by Lenny Lishchenko and published by Inhabit Media
  • Te Rerehua reading from Auckland: Stolen Stars of Matariki, written by Miriama Kamo, illustrated by Zak Waipara and published by Scholastic New Zealand
  • Tahlia Timpene reading from Auckland: Māui – Sun Catcher, written by Tim Tipene, illustrated by Zak Waipara and published by Oratia Books
  • Callie Yu Schott and Theo Yu Schott reading from Whitehorse, Yukon: Awâsis and the World-Famous Bannock, written by Dallas Hunt, illustrated by Amanda Strong and  published by HighWater Press

And continuing on the theme of kids who rocked it… thank you to those who shared their illustrations of Richard Van Camp’s Message to the Children of the World for International Children’s Book Day:


Kids from the Espacio de Aventura at Club Vallarta in El Salitrillo, Puerto Vallarta illustrated Richard Van Camp’s message to the children of the world.

Happy International Children’s Book Day! May the celebrations continue all year!!

Contributed by Patti McIntosh

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