Día is Almost Here! Celebrate on April 30

It’s almost that time of year again – El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), commonly known as Día!

Día is a celebration of children, families, and reading that culminates yearly on April 30 – just two weeks away. This nationally-recognized initiative spearheaded by ALSC emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds. While this is a year-round initiative, we celebrate all that we’ve accomplished throughout the year at the end of April.

Common goals of Día programming include:

• Celebrating children and connecting them to the world of learning through books, stories and libraries;
• Nurturing cognitive and literacy development in ways that honor and embrace a child’s home language and culture;
• Introducing families to community resources that provide opportunities for learning through multiple literacies;
• Recognizing and respecting culture, heritage and language as powerful tools for strengthening families and communities.

There are many ways that ALSC and libraries across the United States celebrate, including booklists, programming, and more.

Booklists

A staple of Día are ALSC’s booklists for the celebration, created by members of the association’s Quicklists Consulting Committee. The lists, provided in both English and Spanish, showcase engaging stories representing a variety of cultures and backgrounds.

The four lists available are separated by age group:

• Birth through PreK
• K to Grade 2
• Grades 3-5
• Grades 6-8

Download them as printable color PDFs here.

Program Registry List and Map

Many libraries celebrate Día on and around April 30 through programming such as storytimes, games, musical activities, and more.

We know sharing ideas and getting inspiration from others is important in our field, so we’ve created a programming registry, viewable as either a map or searchable list. There are currently 75+ programs to peruse!

If you’d like to submit your own program to the registry, use this form.

Share Information About Día to Your Community

One of the ways libraries spread the word about Día booklists and programming is through their social media channels. We’ve created some png graphics for you to use in your posts – download them here.

Get Your Día Merch!

This year, ALSC is also offering Día merch via the ALA Graphics Gift Shop. Choose from two styles of tote bags and a sticker!

Apply For a Día Grant

Although the deadline has passed for 2025 Día grants, it’s never too early to start thinking about next year! ALSC offers two grant opportunities that typically have February deadlines:

• Mini-Grants from REFORMA – REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, awards up to five mini-grants of $500 each year to support a Día program that celebrates Latino/x/é culture.
• Grant from The Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature (CSMCL) – CSMCL awards a grant to a library serving children and their families that is holding a Día library program with an African American focus. The grant was paused in 2025, but will return in 2026.

We can’t wait to celebrate on April 30 and hear about all the great Día programs happening across the country!

All images in this post courtesy of ALSC