Día brings community members together to celebrate children and encourage literacy
By OLIVIA HOKR — city@theaggie.org
Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros, also commonly referred to as Día, will be celebrated by various Yolo County Library locations throughout the month of April. Día is a nationally recognized holiday that aims to honor children and recognize society’s next generations while promoting literacy and cultural diversity.
On April 6, the Yolo Branch Library held the first of many celebrations. The festivities began with storytime and interactive children’s songs led by Ana, an employee from the West Sacramento Branch and an organizer of the Día celebration. Books and songs were spoken in both English and Spanish to highlight the origin of Día.
This was followed by various activity stations for children and their families to enjoy, including coloring, crafts, bubbles and building blocks. The grand finale was a performance by Nā Keiki O Hawaiʻi Dancers. A display of books was available for families in attendance to choose from and take home with them.
Hundreds of children’s books were donated and fundraised for the library in honor of late community member, Violet Hansen, who is remembered for her love of reading. The Violet Hansen Memorial Funds were created by her family to provide thousands of books for the library and for the expansion of Violet’s Corner in the library. They hope to encourage reading and literacy in children. To honor Violet, books were donated for giving away at the Día celebration.
A Yolo County Library employee from the Davis branch and an organizer of the events, Gaby, shared why they bring these Día celebrations to their communities every year and how it aims to educate and entertain families and their children.
“The events are to celebrate youth, celebrate books, celebrate literacy and make [literacy] accessible for the children in Yolo County,” Gaby said. “We like to bring culture into it and bring in performers for families to enjoy.”
A significant part of the celebration is to provide the opportunity for families to engage with others from their community. At the Yolo Branch event, nearly 20 families were in attendance and were able to enjoy a welcoming and interactive space. Children played and sang together while learning about the importance of education.
Family Yolo County Literacy Organizer Leticia Flores is a community member and mother who attended Día on April 6. She emphasized the importance of promoting early literacy and of spreading knowledge of the available local library services, especially in small rural areas.
“I think it’s important to bring the community together and, especially with kids, have these types of hands-on events to bring people together,” Flores said.
Flores was one of many women who were there to celebrate Día with her family but also to share information with the community regarding the organization. Yolo County Library provides many services and resources for literacy and education. This includes classes to improve reading and writing skills for both children and adults and provide overall more accessible reading materials.
To celebrate Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros and engage with the community, people can attend an event at your local Yolo County library. Each celebration will include a special performance and offer free take-home children’s books.
Written by: Olivia Hokr — city@theaggie.org
