Critically acclaimed children’s author and illustrator Peter Sís will speak at UF today. His presentation is the main event of UF’s first year participating in International Children’s Book Day.
“He’s an exceptionally talented, brilliant illustrator and children’s book creator,” said John Cech, director of the Center for Children’s Literature and Culture.
Traditionally held on Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday, International Children’s Book Day is a celebration of children’s literature and storytelling, transcending the bounds of geography, language and culture.
Sís will speak at 7 p.m. at the P.K. Yonge Performing Arts Center about his work and the powerful force of books as communication tools across cultures.
Cech said children’s books are an important means of breaking down global barriers. Although they may be filled with bright illustrations and follow simple plots, these stories address universal themes.
“Children’s books can be dark,” he said. “They can be complex. They can be ambiguous. They can deal with all sorts of issues.”
Ruth Lowery, an associate professor in the UF College of Education, is concerned with helping her students get a global perspective on literature.
“The focus for me is that we all acknowledge the presence of books in our lives and that stories are from everywhere,” she said.
Along with Sís, storyteller, educator and writer Barry Stewart Mann will be speaking at multiple venues, including Santa Fe College and the Alachua County Library. At 2 p.m., he will be at Smathers Library to give a presentation on storytelling.
