pril brings two significant celebrations: International Children’s Book Day on April 2 and the World Book and Copyright Day on April 23.

Since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday (April 2), the International Children’s Book Day has been celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children’s books.

Every year, a different national section of the International Board on Books for Young People—which now has 84 sections—has the opportunity to be the international sponsor of the Children’s Book Day. It decides upon a theme and invites a prominent author from the host country to write a message to the children of the world and a well-known illustrator to design a poster. These materials are used in different ways to promote books and reading. Many IBBY sections promote the day through the media and organise activities in schools and public libraries. Often the day is linked to celebrations around children’s books and other special events that may include encounters with authors and illustrators, writing competitions or announcements of book awards.

Every year, the World Book and Copyright Day is celebrated in recognition of the power of books as a bridge between generations and across cultures. Every year, a World Book Capital is selected to represent major sectors of the book industry: publishers, booksellers and libraries. Selected cities promote books and reading for all age groups.

Both days celebrate one of the most important meetings in the world: the meeting between a reader—a child or an adult—and a book.

When a child opens a book, it marks the beginning of something. A door opens; imagination stirs; questions are born; and hope makes its quiet entry. A child may be sitting in a crowded home; in a remote village; in a school with few resources; or in unimaginably difficult circumstances, but the minute he or she opens a book, the world becomes larger.

This simple belief has guided the work of the Alif Laila Book Bus Society for decades. It also lies at the heart of the International Board on Books for Young People—whose mission is to bring children and books together, especially those children whose access to books is limited by poverty, conflict, distance or neglect. It is a mission rooted in dignity, imagination and the conviction that stories belong to every child.

For the past two years, it has been my privilege to serve in the leadership of IBBY, at a time when the world has asked much of all those who care for children. These years have reaffirmed what many of us have always known: books are not secondary to children’s lives; they are central to them.

Where there is upheaval, books offer steadiness. Where there is silence, books give language. Where there is fear, books keep hope alive.

At Alif Laila, we have tried to keep these values alive in practical ways. We have taken books to children through mobile libraries: a bus; vans and rickshaws; bikes; boats; even camels, reaching those for whom libraries were distant or did not exist. We have created cost effective, inviting spaces where children can read, listen, browse, borrow and discover the joy of stories. We have worked in schools, in communities, and in places where children are too often forgotten when resources are limited.

Books cannot stop wars or remove injustice. But without readers who can think, imagine, question and care, societies cannot heal or progress.

We have watched children eagerly enjoy the Alif Laila Book Bus—Pakistan’s first double decker bus; wait patiently for our mobile bus Dastangou or The Storyteller; and we have seen them choose books with care, hold them close, return them proudly and ask for more.

We have seen hesitant readers become confident. We have seen children who listened quietly at first, reading aloud to others later.

These moments may appear small, but they are not. These mark the beginning of confidence, curiosity, language, empathy and learning.

At Alif Laila, we have always believed that reading promotion must begin with the child. Every child deserves access to books and to caring adults— parents, teachers, librarians, siblings and communities—that value reading.

For this reason, our work has never been only about books. It has also been about building a reading culture. It has meant supporting libraries, encouraging storytelling, training teachers, engaging families, promoting children’s publishing and advocating for policies that place children at the centre.

Every year, the International Children’s Book Day and World Book and Copyright Day remind us of this shared global purpose. Both days remind us that across languages, borders and histories, children turn pages with the same wonder. They invite us to celebrate the writers, illustrators, translators, publishers, teachers and librarians, whose work keeps that wonder alive. They reaffirm to us that children’s literature is not a small field; it is where future readers, citizens and dreamers are born.

Children need books in the languages they speak; stories that reflect their lives; and stories that introduce them to lives beyond their own. They need mirrors in which to recognise themselves and windows through which to understand others.

In a world where division grows easily, books quietly do the opposite. They create empathy. They help children imagine another child’s life. They teach that difference is not something to fear.

Books cannot stop wars or remove injustice. But without readers who can think, imagine, question and care, societies cannot heal or progress.

That is why celebrating books matters.

It is a reminder that reading is not a luxury for the fortunate few. It is part of every child’s right to learn, grow and participate fully in society. It lets us know that if we want a kinder and wiser future, we must place books in children’s hands today.

On these days, we honour all those who help bring children and books together. We renew our own commitment to go where children are creating and advocating for libraries and reading spaces; to continue to support children’s literature; and to believe completely in the transformative power of books.

If somewhere today, a child opens a book and feels less alone, more curious, joyful or hopeful, then the work we do is worthwhile—and will always be.

The writer has been promoting books and libraries for children for five decades. She is the president of the Alif Laila Book Bus Society and IBBY International.