On April 2, all current members of IBBY Australia will be sent a link to a video featuring Katrina Nannestad celebrating International Children’s Book Day and speaking on the theme, I am a book, read me. Katrina Nannestad is an award-winning Australian author. Her books include the CBCA shortlisted We Are Wolves; The Girl Who Brought Mischief; The Travelling Bookshop series; The Girl, the Dog and the Writer series; the Olive of Groves series, the Red Dirt Diaries series; the Lottie Perkins series; and the historical novels Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief and Waiting for the Storks.

Katrina’s book, We are Wolves has been included in the USBBY Outstanding International books list. 
This video is exclusive to IBBY Australia members. Join IBBY Australia to view.

Each year on April 2, the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) celebrates International Children’s Book Day (ICBD) on the birthday of Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875), as part of its mission to bring books and children together throughout the world. It is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children’s books.

Greece is the sponsor in 2023.

The theme is I am a book, read me.

The poster is the result of a collaboration between author Vagelis Iliopoulos and illustrator Photini Stephanidi. Together, they wanted to celebrate the power of children’s books in promoting values of equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as connecting people through tolerance and understanding.

I am a book, read me.  by Vagelis Iliopoulos  (extract)

I am a book.
You are a book.
We are all books.
My soul is the story I tell.
Every book tells its own story.
We can look quite different –some big, some small,
some colourful, some black and white,
some with a few pages, some with many.
We may say similar or completely different things,
but that’s our beauty.

Reflect on the beauty of the complete poem (open the downward arrow on author and scroll)