The Diplomat
In 1967, the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) chose April 2 to celebrate International Children’s and Young People’s Book Day, and to celebrate it, the Embassy of the Dominican Republic, with the collaboration of the Banreservas Volunteers, organized an educational activity that day for the children of the Dominican community in Madrid.
On April 2, 1805, the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen was born, famous for his stories for children, including The Ugly Duckling, The Tin Soldier and The Little Mermaid.
The diplomatic event began with the words of Ambassador Juan Bolívar Díaz, who in a friendly manner approached the children to “welcome them and motivate them to read and to behave well”, according to the Embassy in a press release. The Dominican artist living in Spain, Taína Almodóvar, was in charge, along with Embassy staff, of painting the faces of the 40 children who attended. Following this, and sponsored by the Banreservas Volunteers, she handed out copies of her book Somos Buenos amigos (We Are Good Friends) and proceeded to read the story.
Afterwards, Mrs. Mary Collins continued with a children’s painting workshop, the reading of one of her stories and ended with the raffle of four books. At the end of the event there was a toast for all the attendees.
This activity held on Saturday 2 April at the Centre for Participation and Integration of Immigrants (CEPI-Tetúan), is part of “the actions to which this diplomatic mission is committed to encourage education, culture and literature in its community in Spain and in the permanent approach to children and youth,” concludes the statement.
