70 Amazing Facts About Canadian Children's Author Robert Munsch

See the whole original article from cbc.com HERE

Highlights...

6. Love You Forever was originally a song Munsch wrote to himself, to help him deal with the grief he and his wife were going through after two stillbirths.

7.Munsch has visited hundreds of schools and daycares for free, often without telling themhe's coming.

11. He started writing stories at age 35.

12.Munsch's books have been translated into 32 languages, including 8 aboriginal languages.

13. As a child, he had an imaginary friend named Bobby Smith, who was very naughty.


17. When he travels, he prefers staying with local families to staying in hotels.


24. Spelling is not his forte.

31. His 2008 stroke has made him forgetful, which is why he doesn't tour anymore.

32. He's a Trekkie.


41. In his book Murmel Murmel Murmel, a male truck driver adopts a baby. Robert based the story on his own experience at the time, as a stay-at-home parent with his adopted son, Andrew.

42. He has a black poodle named Guinness. His previous dog was a black poodle named Cinder

66. His favourite TV show is Elementary.

67. His book Get Out of Bed! inspired a Fall Fair parade float in Tavistock, Ontario. On the float, the girl who inspired the book lay in bed while Robert Munsch read to her. It won first prize.

68. His favourite colour is black.

69. Theatre productions of his books have included Little Munsch on the Prairie, Magical Mystery Munsch, Munsch Ado About Nothing and Munschia Mia.

70. Munsch has 71 million copies of his books in print in North America. That's two Robert Munsch books for every Canadian citizen.

Caldecott Winner 2015

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

(Print information from http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal)

2015 Medal Winner : The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend

 illustrated and written by Dan Santat 

I am thrilled that one of my picks for my elementary library 'must haves' has been selected as this years winner!  Beekle is so visually appealing and adorable that it practically jumped off the shelf and into my arms.

In four delightful “visual chapters,” Beekle, an imaginary friend, undergoes an emotional journey looking for his human. Santat uses fine details, kaleidoscopic saturated colors, and exquisite curved and angular lines to masterfully convey the emotional essence of this special childhood relationship. 

“Santat makes the unimaginable, imaginable,” said Caldecott Medal Committee Chair Junko Yokota. 

Have a look inside:

Click HERE for an interview with 
Author and Illustrator Dan Santat from Bookpage.com





2015 Honor Books

Nana in the City, written and illustrated by Lauren Castillo

Castillo’s evocative watercolor illustrations tell the story of a young boy’s visit to his grandmother, and the reassuring way she helps him to lose his fear and experience the busy, loud city in a new way.

The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky's Abstract Art, illustrated by Mary GrandPré, written by Barb Rosenstock
Abstract artist Vasily Kandinsky experienced colors as sounds and sounds as colors; he created work that was bold and groundbreaking using colors from his "noisy paint box.” His process is reflected beautifully by GrandPré, whose paint flows across the page in ethereal ribbons of color..

Sam & Dave Dig a Hole, illustrated by Jon Klassen, written by Mac Barnett
Klassen’s use of texture, shape and earth tones in this deceptively simple book invite readers into the experience of two boys, who, accompanied by their dog, set out to dig a hole. Readers will find an unexpected treasure and be challenged to ponder the meaning of “spectacular.”

Viva Frida, illustrated and written by Yuyi Morales 
 Using a unique variety of media - puppetry, printmaking, painting and photography - combined with an intoxicating use of color and unfailing sense of composition, Morales celebrates the artistic process.

Why a Good Book is a Secret Door

Mac Barnett is the author of fifteen books for children. He was the executive director of 826LA, a nonprofit writing center, and founded the Echo Park Time Travel Mart, a convenience store for time travelers. In this talk about creativity and wonder, he explains why kids are the ideal readers of literary fiction -- and what adults can learn from them about imagination and the willing suspension of disbelief.

Bear on the Homefront by Stephanie Innes & Harry Endrulat

During World War II, 10,000 children from British cities were sent to live with host families in Canada, the United States, and other nations away from the war zone. Bear on the Homefront tells the story of two guest children, Grace and William Chambers, who arrive in Halifax and meet Aileen Rogers, a nurse serving on the homefront. With her is Teddy, the stuffed bear whose real-life trip to the front lines of World War I and back was chronicled in A Bear in War.Using archival images and Aileen Rogers’ wartime diary, Stephanie Innes and Harry Endrulat piece together William and Grace’s journey by train to their host family’s Winnipeg farm. Readers experience the story through Teddy’s eyes as Aileen, seeing William’s anxiety, lets her stuffed friend stay with the little boy throughout the train ride and, ultimately, throughout the war. Brian Deines’ soulful oil paintings capture the spirit of the war years on the homefront. His expressive art communicates both the loneliness of children separated from their families and the joyful conclusion when Grace, William, and Teddy all return to their homes again.

A sweet book that centers on how two children, Grace and William, feel being so far from home and all they know.  This story will be great for Remembrance Day, especially for younger grades where stories of war may be to dark for some.  I can also see this as being a good book for anyone who is in a new place or situation and unsure of what lies ahead.   Beautifully illustrated and gently told, Bear on the Homefront is a new favorite.

-------------

Check out Teddy's first adventures in WW1.

Teddy belonged to ten-year-old Aileen Rogers, whose father Lawrence left Aileen, her little brother Howard, and his wife Janet home on the family farm in Quebec when he went to war. Janet and Lawrence exchanged more than 200 letters during his service. Aileen and Howard also wrote their dad -- and Aileen sent her beloved Teddy overseas to help protect him. Sadly, Lawrence died at the battle of Passchendaele. In 2002, his granddaughter Roberta Innes found Teddy and the letters in an old family briefcase. Her findings uncovered how a Canadian family's strength was tested by war and how a small stuffed bear became an enduring memento of their love.

Blue Spruce 2015:Kenta and the Big Wave; Oddrey and The New Kid

The Blue Spruce™ Award program brings recently published Canadian children's picture books to Ontario children ages 4 to 7 in kindergarten through to grade two.
This program promotes reading for enjoyment and begins to develop the reader’s skill in evaluating a picture book based on story, text and pictures. Students read 10 nominated picture books during the school year and vote for their favourite book in the spring. The best picture book is selected by student voting, and the winning author is presented with the Blue Spruce Award.

Kenta and the Big Wave by Ruth Ohi

The tsunami has swept everything away—including Kenta’s most prized possession, his soccer ball.

When tragedy strikes Kenta’s small village in Japan, he does all he can to hang on to the things that matter to him most. But amidst the chaos of an emergency evacuation brought on by the tsunami, Kenta and his family must quickly leave their home, taking with them only the barest necessities. Climbing to safer ground, Kenta watches helplessly as his prized soccer ball goes bouncing down a hill and gets swept away by the waves, never to be seen again… that is until it washes up on a beach on the other side of the world, into the hands of a child who takes it upon himself to return the ball to its rightful owner.

Love the page showing the kids playing while living at the school after the tsunami.  This is a good way to introduce the idea of natural disasters to primary grades in an age appropriate way.  But the gem of this story is the adventure that Kenta's soccer ball goes on and it's journey back to Japan.
LESSON IDEA:
-pair this story with a Pen Pal program with a school in another country.
-Pair this story with fact books of tsunamis and hurricanes and fires.  Talk about how we have fire drills and Kenta's school have tsunami drills.  Compare and contrast the two activities.
-Have the kids colour a basic world map.  Have them chose  and draw on the map an important toy or item and have them predict on the map where it could travel to by ocean current.

Oddrey and The New Kid by Dave Whamond
Ever since she averted disaster in the class production of The Wizard of Oz, Oddrey has been making new friends at school. Her classmates have come to appreciate her irrepressible charm and Oddrey, in turn, encourages them to be their own unique selves. So when Oddrey's teacher introduces a new girl, Maybelline, to the class, Oddrey, ever the optimist, is sure that they'll become the best of friends.  But Maybelline's elaborate storytelling habits and bossy playground personality soon force Oddrey to reconsider. Fed up with Maybelline's tall tales, and her classmates' fascination with Maybelline's stories, Oddrey challenges Maybelline during a class trip to the zoo. The adventure that ensues is Maybelline's and Oddrey's best adventure yet!

More fun and bright illustrations. Another tale about Oddrey who still sees the world in a unique manner and a new character, Mabelline, who like to tell stories of her many adventures.The middle part of the story becomes a wordless book allowing the reader to actively become part of the storytelling.  I feel that a discussion at the end is still necessary to discuss whether Mabelline's stories were true or false or mostly true.
LESSON IDEA: Tall Tales - discussion and comparison
what is a tall tale.  list items that hint that a story may be a tall tale ___ The story has many exaggerations in it.
___ The main character has a problem to solve.
___ The main character is bigger than life and has super-human abilities.
___ The plot of the story is funny and impossible
discuss one or two of Mabelline's stories and write on chart paper which parts match a tall tale and which parts  could be true.

We Bid Farewell to Norman Bridwell

Like so many others, I cut my reading teeth on the stories of a big red dog named Clifford.  Working in elementary school libraries for the last 10 years I can attest that such is still the case.  The Clifford books are still amongst the most popular series for primary grades.

Norman Bridwell, the creator of the beloved Clifford, has died at the age of 86.

From BBC News:
His loveable character first made an appearance in 1963 and went on to star in more than 40 stories, selling 120 million copies worldwide.  Bridwell had completed two more books which are due for release next year.

His wife of 56 years, Norma, said: "A lot of people were Clifford fans and that makes them Norman fans too."

She was responsible for naming the character Clifford after her imaginary childhood friend.

Over the decades, the bright red dog featured in a host of stories, including Clifford Goes To Hollywood and Clifford and The Grouchy Neighbours, which became popular bedtime reading for children.  

The dog regularly got into trouble before redeeming himself with a daring rescue or doing a good deed. Bridwell's wife said there were parallels between the author and his creation.

"He's never been able to recognise that. Clifford tries to do the right thing, Norman tries to do right the thing, and he makes a mess of it. But he's the most lovable grown-up man. He's just a nice guy."

Before he found fame with Clifford, Bridwell worked as a commercial artist during the 1950s.  He made numerous attempts to break into children's publishing, until a New York book editor suggested he created a story around an illustration he had submitted of a child and her oversized dog. Further rejections followed, until publishers Scholastic saw his creation's potential - a move which led to lasting success for the company.

"I said to my wife, 'Now don't count on there being any more. This one is just a fluke. I don't know if there will ever be another one,'" Bridwell said.

In more recent years, the character was animated in a series of cartoons for US television, while a feature film - Clifford's Big Red Movie - was made in 2004.

~~~~~~

Mr. Bridwell talks about the Clifford series in the 50th anniversary video from Scholastic.ca

“Norman personified the values that we as parents and educators hope to communicate to our children -- kindness, compassion, helpfulness, gratitude -- through the Clifford stories which have been loved for more than 50 years,”  said Dick Robinson, chairman, president and CEO of Scholastic.

Blue Spruce 2015: The Day My Mom came to Kindergarten; The Man with the Violin

The Blue Spruce™ Award program brings recently published Canadian children's picture books to Ontario children ages 4 to 7 in kindergarten through to grade two.
This program promotes reading for enjoyment and begins to develop the reader’s skill in evaluating a picture book based on story, text and pictures. Students read 10 nominated picture books during the school year and vote for their favourite book in the spring. The best picture book is selected by student voting, and the winning author is presented with the Blue Spruce Award.

The Day My Mom came to Kindergarten by Maureen Fergus
"I liked kindergarten from the very 1st day," begins the narrator of this very funny and touching picture book. However, she notices, "My mom was happy for me, of course, but I got the feeling that she was also a little sad" to leave her. So one day the little girl invites her mom to join the kindergarten class for the day, which turns out to be a real learning experience — for both of them. Somehow her mom just can't get any of the rules right: she barges to the front of the line, she shouts out without raising her hand, she slams down her scissors during Craft Time. How embarrassing! In a wonderful role reversal that will delight young children, the girl must become the patient and sometimes frustrated expert who instructs her mom on how to behave.

A fun role reversal book that discusses classroom rules.  Kids movie have used this concept for years: making the kid the expert who has to teach or lead the adults.  It is a tactic that make this book about rules fun and lively.  I see many opportunities for class interaction during story time and there are many connections to be made with the students home lives.  I predict some interesting conversations at the end of this read-aloud!
LESSON IDEA: Report card.  Give grades of thumbs up, thumbs out or thumbs down to how mom did at first, how the daughter taught her; and how mom did in the end.
How many think their mom or dad would have trouble on the first day with the classroom rules?
Pick a rule and say how would you help them learn it?

The Man with the Violin by Kathy Stinson
Who is playing that beautiful music in the subway? And why is nobody listening?
Based on the true story of Joshua Bell, the renowned American violinist who famously took his instrument down into the Washington D.C. subway for a free concert, this is a  story that reminds us all to stop and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us. More than a thousand commuters rushed by him, but only seven stopped to listen for more than a minute.
Dylan is someone who notices things. His mom is someone who doesn’t. So try as he might, Dylan can’t get his mom to listen to the man playing the violin in the subway station. But Dylan is swept away by the soaring and swooping notes that fill the air as crowds of oblivious people rush by. With the beautiful music in his head all day long, Dylan can’t forget the violinist, and finally succeeds in making his mother stop and listen, too.

This book has so many wonderful levels.  There are lessons about paying attention to the world around you; about not rushing so much but to slow down and notice the important things in life; to listen to one another; not judging people solely on appearance and assumptions; and, about the importance of retaining the imagination and curiosity we had in childhood.  The illustrations also seem to contain a higher meaning.  The fading of colours the farther from the music Dylan walks. (picture)

LESSON IDEA: discussion and connections
Talk about why no one listened.  How many reasons can they think of.
Why did Dylan listen?  How did he feel?  How do you know?(colours in books)
What happens when we rush around?  we don't notice things?  Did you rush today?  What things could you notice if you didn't rush?

Blue Spruce 2015: My Blue is Happy; Loula is Leaving for Africa

The Blue Spruce™ Award program brings recently published Canadian children's picture books to Ontario children ages 4 to 7 in kindergarten through to grade two.
This program promotes reading for enjoyment and begins to develop the reader’s skill in evaluating a picture book based on story, text and pictures. Students read 10 nominated picture books during the school year and vote for their favourite book in the spring. The best picture book is selected by student voting, and the winning author is presented with the Blue Spruce Award.

My Blue is Happy by Jessica Young
A lyrical ode to colors — and the unique ways we experience them — follows a little girl as she explores the world with her family and friends.  Your neighbor says red is angry like a dragon’s breath, but you think it’s brave like a fire truck. Or maybe your best friend likes pink because it’s pretty like a ballerina’s tutu, but you find it annoying — like a piece of gum stuck on your shoe. In a subtle, child-friendly narrative, art teacher and debut author Jessica Young suggests that colors may evoke as many emotions as there are people to look at them — and opens up infinite possibilities for seeing the world in a wonderful new way.

This is great for explaining the concept of perception or comparing different experiences without getting too complicated.  The  activities and questions you can involve students in practically leap off the page.  
LESSON IDEA: Great for exploring colours or feelings.
Explore what different colours mean to individuals. Try verbal comparisons; artistic interpretations of what colours mean (like in the book); or, word association games; etc.


Loula is Leaving for Africa by Anne Villenieuve
Loula has had enough of her terrible triplet brothers and decides to run away to Africa. Luckily, her mother's chauffeur, Gilbert, knows just how to get there. Together, Loula and Gilbert ride camels, cross a desert and, most important, use heaps of imagination in this heartwarming adventure.

Oh to have a chauffeur...and one who joins in on the adventures of the imagination (without turning creepy). Loula's chauffeur is a gem, thinking of thinks like needing a boat to get to Africa and tickets for the boat.  The best imaginary adventures have some detail to make them feel true!
LESSON IDEA: planning
Display a map of the world.  Plot your location and where Africa is.
Have the class suggest a list of what you would need for your trip (food, clothes, tickets, ship, food for whales, plane, sunscreen, postcards, etc).  They could also plot the route they would take on a map handout and draw items from the list where they think they would use them. 

Blue Spruce 2015: Young Frank Architect; The Highest Number in the World

The Blue Spruce™ Award program brings recently published Canadian children's picture books to Ontario children ages 4 to 7 in kindergarten through to grade two.
This program promotes reading for enjoyment and begins to develop the reader’s skill in evaluating a picture book based on story, text and pictures. Students read 10 nominated picture books during the school year and vote for their favourite book in the spring. The best picture book is selected by student voting, and the winning author is presented with the Blue Spruce Award.

Young Frank Architect by Frank Viva
Young Frank, Architect follows the adventures of Young Frank, a resourceful young architect who lives in New York City with his grandfather, Old Frank, who is also an architect. Young Frank sees creative possibilities everywhere, and likes to use anything he can get his hands on—macaroni, old boxes, spoons, and sometimes even his dog, Eddie—to creates things like chairs out of toilet paper rolls and twisting skyscrapers made up of his grandfather’s books. But Old Frank is skeptical; he doesn’t think that’s how REAL architects make things. 

Although sure of his opinions and critical of his grandsons methods, Old Frank makes an important discovery during the story.  I appreciate that the author included an elderly gentleman in the story without focusing on his age.  It is great to see people with some years on them represented in stories without being silly,  a punchline or a problem.  I found I really liked Frank, both the younger and the older. I am a fan of young Franks creations.  The back page includes info about some of the real designs Young and Old Frank saw at the museum.  Information on the designers and architects is included.

LESSON IDEA: create
Have students draw a structure (building, chair, etc) that they designed.  List materials to be used in  building it (can be fanciful such as a 58 lollipop bridge or a purple brick castle).


The Highest Number in the World by Roy MacGregor 

9-year-old Gabe (Gabriella) Murray lives and breathes hockey. She's the youngest player on her new team, she has a nifty move that her teammates call "the Gabe," and she shares a lucky number with her hero, Hayley Wickenheiser: number 22. But when her coach hands out the team jerseys, Gabe is stuck with number 9. Crushed, Gabe wants to give up hockey altogether. How can she play without her lucky number? Gabe's grandmother soon sets her straight, though--from her own connection to the number 9 in her hockey-playing days to all the greats she cheered for who wore it, she soon convinces Gabe that this new number might not be so bad after all.

My favorite part of the story? I'm almost exhausted with all the hockey themed books that I have seen lately (almost...I am Canadian!) but the final page got me: Gabriella and her hero both wearing their hockey jersey's.  Why?  Read the book.  It's worth it!
LESSON IDEA: discussion and draw
Who is your hero? Is it someone you have met?  WHY is that person a hero?  Do you have any heroes in your family?  What makes them a hero? Draw a medal (or provide medal template for them to personalize) for your hero, include something in the design that illustrates why they are a hero (eg. hockey stick, sport jersey, uniform, fireman's hat, etc).

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Women's activists have marked November 25th as a day against violence since 1981. This date came from the brutal assassination in 1960, of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic. Governments, international organizations and NGOs are invited to organize activities designed to raise public awareness of the problem on this day.

 Violence against women continues to be a global pandemic and impacts on, and impedes, progress in many areas, including poverty eradication, combating HIV/AIDS, and peace and security. Violence against women is a consequence of discrimination against women, in law and also in practice, and of persisting inequalities between men and women.

 Physical. Sexual. Psychological. Economic. Violence against women takes many forms and affects women from childhood to old age. The roots of violence against women lie in persistent discrimination against women. Women who experience violence suffer a range of health problems and their ability to participate in society is diminished. This violence does not observe distinctions of culture, religion, race or age. It harms families, communities across generations and reinforces other violence prevalent

So how do we address this in the library?  There are several books available that can help approach these sensitive subjects with our young patrons on both an individual level and as a global issue.

I like that these books use animals as characters rather than people.  I think that it allows young readers to distance themselves from frightening situations without taking away any of the impact and validity of the situations described.

A Terrible Thing Happened by Margaret M. Holmes
Sherman Smith saw the most terrible thing happen. At first he tried to forget about it, but something inside him started to bother him. He felt nervous and had bad dreams. Then he met someone who helped him talk about the terrible thing, and made him feel better.

Holmes has written a book that doesn't pretend that thing will go back to the way they were, but instead lets the reader know that many emotions can result from a tragedy such as anger, sadness, fear and that acting out can result when these emotions are hidden or ignored. Finding someone to talk to can help. There is also some information for caregivers at the end. We never learn what the terrible thing that happened to Sherman is, making this book relatable for all kinds of situations: bullying, divorce, abuse, death, accident, crime, and so on.

On a Dark, Dark Night by Sara B. Pierce
A bear cub sees his father strike his mother. He runs away, and is comforted by his friend Moose, who brings in another friend, Eagle. Eagle, taking on the role of the police officer, goes to the father bear and talks to him. Eagle brings him before the animal council, which Pierce calls “the animals’ version of our judicial system.” The council decides that the father bear can no longer stay in the village. Several seasons pass, the father returns, and he and the mother bear begin to talk about whether he can return home or whether he needs more time alone. The story leaves what happens next unsaid making the book suitable for a variety of situations.

November 20th is Children's Day

Google has changed their logo to recognize the day and remind the millions of users of it's importance.

 

Today, November 20th, is the day the world celebrates children and is dedicated to raising awareness about exploitation, abuse, discrimination and crimes against children. 

This date was chosen because it is the anniversary of the United Nations adopting the Declaration of Rights of the Child (1959)and the Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989). Begun in 1954, The UN invited countries worldwide to devote November 20th of each year to "promoting the ideals and objectives of the Charter and the welfare of the children of the world."  This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the Convention. In those 25 years, infant mortality has declined.  School enrollment has increased. Of course, there is still much more to be done.  Read part of the UN Secretarial-General's message below.

There are many picture books that deal with the issue of children's rights.  Here are some that we use in my libraries:

Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Williams
In a refugee camp, two girls each claim a sandal as they have no shoes.  Realizing that the other girl as the matching shoe, they decide to share the sandal rather than have one go without. 
Ryan and Jimmy: And the Well in Africa That Brought Them Together by Herb Shoveller
Ryan, at the age of six, learns that many children in the world don't have safe drinking water and becomes an activist, raising money to build a well in Africa.
The Roses in My Carpets by Rukhsana Khan
War leads a family to move to a refugee camp.  The young son must find ways to provide for his family instead of going to school.
You and Me and Home Sweet Home by George Ella Lyon
 Sharonda and her mother are close to being homeless, staying with reluctant relatives until a group offers help.
Way Home by Libby Hathorn
 The story of a homeless boy called Shane who, whilst travelling across the city one night, befriends a cat.
Whoever You Are by Mem Fox
A celebration of the world’s diverse cultures, both our similarities and differences.
For Every Child by Unicef
Ten principles which make up the Universal Rights of the Child - from the right to a name and a nationality and protection for handicapped children to the right of education and play - are illustrated.
Angel Child, Dragon Child by Michele Maria Surat
 Examines culture shock when an immigrant child moves from Vietnam to America and how students make fun of her and her experiences adapting to her new home. Understanding and friendship evolve.
Marianthe's Story: Painted Words and Spoken Memories by Aliki
In Painted Words, Marianthe's paintings help her to become less of an outsider as she struggles to adjust to a new language and a new school.   In Spoken Memories, a proud Mari is finally able to use her new words to narrate the sequence of paintings she created, and share with her classmates her memories of her homeland and the events that brought her family to their new country.
Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth
A little girl longs to see beyond the scary sights on the sidewalk and the angry scribbling in the halls of her building. 
Welcoming Babies by Margy Burns Knight
Welcoming Babies shows the diverse ways we welcome new life around the world. It can be a springboard for discussions on traditions and culture.
The Story of Ruby Brides by Robert Cole
A little girl standing alone in the face of racism when she tries to get an education.
I Have the Right to Be a Child by Alain Serres
What it means to be a child with rights -- from the right to food, water and shelter, to the right to go to school, to be free from violence, to breathe clean air, and more.

Secretary-General of the UN's Message for 2014

The one thing all children have in common is their rights. Every child has the right to survive and thrive, to be educated, to be free from violence and abuse, to participate and to be heard.

These are innate human rights, as inalienable as those held by adults. But until 1989, these rights were not formally articulated in a legally binding instrument, nor were governments fully accountable to advance these rights for every child.

This all changed 25 years ago, on Universal Children’s Day, when the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It rapidly became the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history.

To date, almost every nation in the world has ratified the Convention. In every region of the world, it has inspired changes in laws, changes in policies, and changes in the way we perceive children as holders of their own rights and in the way we work to promote those rights.

It is fitting that we celebrate a quarter century of the Convention. But we must do more than celebrate. We must recommit ourselves to advancing the rights of every child, especially those who have been left behind -- those who have the least and need us the most. (source: http://www.un.org/)