On April 30, 2015 in the Friends Room of the Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library the Children’s Department will host its first annual Día de los niños/ Día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day) event. El día de los niños/El día de los libros is an annual celebration of children, families, and reading that happens in libraries and schools around the world and emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds and in any language. The goals of the Día initiative are to:
• Celebrate children and connect them to the world of learning through books, stories and libraries.
• Nurture cognitive and literacy development in ways that honor and embrace a child’s home language and culture.
• Recognize and respect culture, heritage and language as powerful tools for strengthening families and communities.
Monterey Park’s program will represent the multicultural, multilingual character of Monterey Park by inviting staff and community members fluent in second languages to read a picture book in that language as part of a family storytime. Languages represented will include Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Arabic and Cambodian. After the readings, attendees can create their own multicultural crafts including Mayan inspired weavings and African block prints. The program begins at 3:30 p.m. and will last approximately an hour to an hour and a half.
Children of all ages and their families are invited to join the festivities on April 30, 2015 as Monterey Park unites to celebrate literacy and diversity. Space is limited to the first 100 participants. This program is free.
Community members who are interested in reading a book in a language not already represented are encouraged to contact Diana Garcia, Acting Librarian, at 626-307-1358 or dgarcia@montereypark.ca.gov before April 15, 2015.
The Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library is the city’s public library located at 318 South Ramona Avenue, Monterey Park, CA 91754. Library hours are: Sunday 1-5 p.m.; Monday & Tuesday 12-9 p.m.; Wednesday & Thursday 10 a.m.-6: p.m.; Friday & Saturday 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Media Contact
Diana Garcia, Acting Librarian
dgarcia@montereypark.ca.gov
626-307-1358
www.MontereyPark.ca.gov