Happy Valentine’s Day! Did you know it’s also International Book Giving Day? IBGD is a “volunteer initiative aimed at increasing children’s access to and enthusiasm for books.” What’s better than sharing book love?
The initiative suggests spreadin’ the love in one of these three ways:
1. Give a Book to a Friend or Relative.
2. Leave a Book in a Waiting Room or Lobby.
3. Donate a Book.
There are so many good programs working to get books into the hands of kids who would otherwise not have access to them, including:
As for me, I’ll be leaving a fresh copy of BOY + BOT by Ame Dyckman (illustrated by Dan Yaccarino) in a local pediatrician’s office.
My favorite part of this book is when Bot finds Boy sleeping, and he thinks Boy is sick. He takes the boy home where he gives him oil, reads him an instruction manual, and tries to change his battery. I think kids headed into a check-up at the doctor’s will get a kick out of this.
The International Book Giving Day’s website has a lot of other great ideas for giving. They also have fun bookplates, some designed by big names in the biz, which you can download for free. I chose one by Debbie Ridpath Ohi, (illustrator of the new picture book, I’M BORED!):
I’m all for flowers and chocolate, but if my husband gave me a bouquet of a dozen books, that would be an amazing valentine! Hope you all get to share and feel some love today.
Nancy Tandon 
I bet I know what book you have a copy of that you can give! That must feel so amazing, to gift your *own* book!
How did I not know this?! Thanks, Nancy! I’m on it.