Focus IBBY

Abstract

Focus IBBY Liz Page (bio) International Children’s Book Day 2022 The 2022 International Children’s Book Day (ICBD) is sponsored by IBBY Canada. The theme is Stories are wings that help you soar every day. Julie Flett and Richard Van Camp have designed the poster to provide the message to the children of the world. Julie Flett is a Cree-Métis author, illustrator, and artist who has been honored with the Governor General’s Award, the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence, and the American Indian Library Association Award. Richard Van Camp is a Dogrib a Tłıc ̨hǫ writer from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, and the award-winning author of twenty-six books. Stories are wings that help you soar every day.Reading is Freedom. Reading is Breath.Reading lets you see our world in a new way and it invitesyou into worlds you never want to leave.Reading allows your spirit to dreamThey say books are friends for life and I agree.The perfect universe of you only grows when you read.Stories are wings that help you soar every day so find thebooks that speak to your spirit, to your heart, to your mind.Stories are medicine. They heal. They comfort. They inspire.They teach.Bless the storytellers and the readers and the listeners. Bless books.They are the medicine for a better, brighter world.Mahsi cho. Thank you very much. Richard Van Camp Click for larger view View full resolution More information about ICBD 2022 and how to order copies of the poster can be found at www.ibby-canda.org. Reflections from the 37th IBBY Congress Moscow, Russia, September 10–12, 2021 The decision to hold the 37th IBBY World Congress in Moscow was made by the IBBY Executive Committee in Bologna in 2015. From the start, it was not plain sailing due to the worries about border conflicts and then later by the government’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights in Russia. Nevertheless, the IBBY Executive Committee kept a close eye on the situation while supporting our IBBY Russia colleagues in their preparations. No one knew at that time what lay ahead! Russian literature has had a strong influence on children’s literature in the world, and IBBY wanted to emphasize the positive aspects of the country as well as follow our goal of promoting peace through children’s [End Page 110] books. IBBY Russia/Raising Readers Association also wanted to share their very rich heritage as well as showcase the latest trends in children’s literature in Russia. When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in early 2020, travel became restricted, borders were closed, and in-person meetings were held online. It was with a heavy heart that the IBBY Executive Committee made the decision in April 2020 to postpone the 37th Congress to 2021. Our colleagues in Moscow had reached the same conclusion, and thus the Congress moved to September 2021. There was still a lot to accomplish, and a hybrid event was planned with in-person attendance as well as online participation. It was a huge challenge and we have learned much in the process. The program was developed and speakers were approached. Several of the original keynote speakers agreed to the new plan and many oral sessions were organized. The Scientific Committee worked hard to prepare an inclusive, interesting, and wide-reaching program. The Congress organizers worked with an IT company to build an online platform that could be universally used around the world in the many different time zones and languages. After all this hard work, the Congress opened in Moscow on Friday, September 10, at the State Museum of Alexander Pushkin. Finally, representatives from thirty countries could attend the Congress in person. The opening began with a very talented young pianist playing, followed by a short welcome by Vladimir Tolstoy, the cultural advisor to the president of the Russian Federation. IBBY President Mingzhou Zhang also welcomed the participants via a prerecorded message. He referred to the work being done by IBBY members across the world: As IBBY members, we work towards bringing children and books together. Even...