International Children's Book Day

April 2nd is International Children's Book Day! This is Hans Christian Anderson's birthday and since 1967, International Children's Book Day has been celebrated all around the world, aiming to inspire each new generation of children with a love of books. Often ICBD is linked to celebrations around children's books and other special events such as encounters with authors and illustrators, writing competitions or announcements of book awards. 

Image:http://www.ibby.org/index.php?id=269

Among the activities of the organising body, IBBY, is the Children In Crisis project:

 "The purpose of this programme is to provide support for children whose lives have been disrupted through war, civil disorder or natural disaster. The two main activities that will be supported by the Fund are the therapeutic use of books and storytelling in the form of bibliotherapy, and the creation or replacement of collections of selected books that are appropriate to the situation. We hope the programme will not only provide immediate support and help, but that it will also make a long term impact in the communities, thus supporting IBBY’s goal of giving every child the Right to Become a Reader."

A love of books and reading starts in earliest childhood and bedtime stories are among the fondest memories we share with our children. Many of us will remember into adulthood a favourite bedtime book that we pored over until we know every word by heart. We have put together some beautiful collections of children's stories, both classic and contemporary.
 
For many of us our first experience of stories is reading the classic fairy tales that are passed down from generation to generation. Magic, romance, fairies, elves and witches are all ingredients that make up the classic fairytales that enchant every generation of children. This luxury cloth-bound book, sumptuously foil-blocked with gold lettering, retells eighteen classic fairytales from across the world and is a beautiful volume to treasure throughout childhood and beyond. Among the much-loved stories are "The Frog Prince", "Sleeping Beauty", "Prince Ivan and the Firebird", "Cinderella", "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Snow Queen". Each page is written in a large, clear font and beautifully illustrated with imaginative and colourful pictures to bring the stories alive.

Fairy Tale Treasury

There is nothing as special as settling down with your little one for a bedtime story. This is a beautiful collection of classic and modern tales of fun and adventure, each page full of engaging coloured pictures and a large clear font. Bound in a soft padded hardback format, this book is destined to become a bedtime favourite and keepsake for years to come. The eight stories are: “King Donkey Ears”, “The Enormous Turnip”, “Danny the Dragon”, “The Inch Prince”, “Androcles and the Lion”, “Stone Soup”, “The Clumsy Crocodile” and “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”. This one will be go down well with ages 5-7+.

Illustrated Stories For Bedtime

Sharing a story with a little one is a moment to treasure and we all remember the wonderful stories that were read to us as children. Here is a beautifully illustrated collection of over twenty stories of excitement, magic and humour. This memorable collection includes classic tales like ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘Treasure Island’, 'Rapunzel', and ‘The Princess and the Pea’ along with some original tales such as ‘The Bed Monster’s Secret’ and ‘The Pesky Parrot’. Each story is written in a large clear font and every page is delightfully illustrated with colourful pictures that will inspire young readers to follow the story. With a ribbon marker, this beautiful hardback book makes a gorgeous gift. It makes a lovely gift for children of 6 years and over who are starting to read for themselves.

Illustrated Stories For Children

Of all the children's classics, The Wind in the Willows is one of the best loved: it revolves around the adventure of four key animal characters and the story is just magical. This edition is a well-presented hardback book beautifully illustrated. The original story was illustrated by E.H.Shepard and although Robert Ingpen's illustrations here are quite different in style (gloomier and more atmospheric), they do justice to the story and have a similar kind of charm about them. All in all, this has to be one of our favourite editions of the book - it looks great as a gift to any child. The pages are really thick and the whole book is well presented - you just know you're in for a treat when you open the book.

The Wind In The Willows

A love of reading is one of the most valuable gifts we can give to our children. Watch their imaginations spring into life as they explore the fantasy world that opens up around them as they travel with you through stories that link the generations and inspire their own awakening creativity. These books make beautiful gifts to treasure and are ideal for Christenings and birthdays for the special little ones in the family.