The North Olympic Library System (NOLS) invites the community to celebrate el Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros – Children’s Day/Book Day.

Families can sing along with bilingual songs and rhymes during a special virtual performance by Marco Cortes, and enjoy an activity kit available at all branches.

Beginning Saturday April 24, while supplies last, pick up a Día activity bag at a local NOLS branch. Bags include a bilingual copy of the book “Carlos and the Squash Plant” / “Carlos y la Planta de Calabaza” by Jan Romero Stevens, seeds to start a squash plant, and a traditional Mexican recipe for using squash.

Additionally, tune in anytime during the week of April 24-May 2 at nols.org or on NOLS social media, to sing along with Cortes, a bilingual children’s performer.

On April 7, Gov. Jay Inslee proclaimed April 30 as Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros (Children’s Day/ Book Day) to encourage all people in the state to share in the joy of reading. Based on the Mexican holiday el Día del Niño, Día is a national library program that fosters literacy for all children from all backgrounds.

Programs such as Día play a critical role in helping meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population, while also fueling understanding and acceptance, program organizers say.

Día, also known as El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) is a commitment to include and celebrate a variety of cultures every day, year-round. Día is an enhancement of Children’s Day, which began in Mexico in 1925. In 1996, nationally acclaimed U.S. children’s book author Pat Mora proposed linking the celebration of childhood and children with literacy to found el Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros in the United States.

For more information about this and other library events and services, visit nols.org, call 360-417-8500 or email to discover@nols.org.