The Moline and Rock Island Public Libraries are teaming up to have a Day of the Child, Day of the Book Workshop. Day of the Child is a holiday based on childhood and literacy and is celebrated on April 30 in Mexico. In the United States, the day was created in 1997 to promote children’s books and bilingual literacy, libraries and Hispanic art and culture. In 1998, the U.S. Congress designated the day as “Day of the Child” with an emphasis on literacy.
Both libraries will have an extended version of the event, having a two day series, on Tuesday, April 29 and Wednesday, April 30. Dora the Explorer, bilingual puppet shows, story times in Spanish and even a piñata will be some of the things families can look forward to. The “De Colores” cast from Musser Public Library in Muscatine, Iowa will celebrate El Dia Del Nino with puppets, stories, singing, and dancing aimed at preschool and early elementary children.
Christina Conklin, Children’s Coordinator at the Moline Library said through a Quad City Arts Dollars: Community Access to the Arts grant, both libraries were able to get a lot of the programs together. “Sue Foster, head of the Rock Island Library’s children department and I are so excited about it. We both (Moline and Rock Island Libraries) wanted to do an event and reach out to the community. We thought by working together we could share resources, honor diversity of our community, bring people together,” Conklin said.
Both libraries have books in Spanish, some in both English and Spanish, and some used for ESL materials. At the Moline Library, the children’s department computer labs have ESL programs and some of the part of the staff is able to serve people in Spanish. “Libraries have so much to offer, programs are free. It’s a wonderful, fun place to come and do things,” Conklin said.
All but the Mexican Mask programs presented by Gloria Burlingame need no registration. Gloria will be talking about Aztec funerary masks and will have children (3rd to 6th grades) create their own version. For more information contact the Moline Public Library, 3210 41st St., Moline, at 309-736-5739, or the Rock Island Public Library, 19th St., Rock Island, at 309-732-7360.
Schedule of Events
Tuesday, April 29
10:30am Celebration of the Child Bilingual Story Time presented by Maria Villarreal , Rock Island Public Library
11:00am Make and Take Craft
Rock Island Public Library
11:30am Dora the Explorer, Rock Island Public Library
3:30pm Mexican Masks presented by Gloria Burlingame, Rock Island Public Library (registration required)
4:30pm Stories on Film, Rock Island Public Library
6:00pm Dora the Explorer, Moline Public Library
6:30pm Book Tasting- Sampling Children’s Books and Chocolate, Moline Public Library
Wednesday, April 30
10:00am Celebration of the Child, Bilingual Story Time presented by Maria Villarreal, Moline Public Library
10:45am Dora the Explorer, Moline Public Library
11:00am Tour of the Library in English, Rock Public Island
11:30am Piñata Fun, Moline Public Library
1:00pm Dora the Explorer, Rock Island Public Library
3:00pm Tour of the Library in Spanish/English, Moline Public Library
3:30pm Mexican Masks presented by Gloria Burlingame, Moline Public Library (registration required)
3:30pm Des Colores, Bilingual Puppet Show,Rock Island Public Library
4:45pm Stories on Film, Moline Public Library
5:30pm Ballet Folklorico, Moline Public Library
5:30pm Book Tasting- Sampling Children’s Books and Chocolate, Rock Island Public Library
6:30pm Des Colores, Bilingual Puppet Show, Moline Public Library
6:30pm Ballet Folklorico, Rock Island Public Library
7:30pm Tour of the Library in Spanish/English, Moline Public Library
Wednesday April 30
Make and Take crafts / Refreshments, Moline and Rock Island Public Libraries
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