Welcome to our 4th annual Díapalooza! It’s exciting to think of all the dedicated and creative Día planners who are preparing for annual book fiestas on or around April 30th. April includes many celebrations including National Poetry Month. Those of us who work on Día are particularly committed to the next generation of poets, artists, scientists, etc., to the children who deserve the pleasure and power of bookjoy.

This year we’re beginning our celebration with a musical treat. Our thanks to the 5th grade at Tony Serna Jr. Elementary (West Las Vegas, NM) and their teacher, Billie Matthews.

Día Song

This is the day of the children,
los niños, the children.
This is the day of the children
the children and their books.

El día de los niños: El día de los libros,
the day of children and their books,
ta-lán, ta-lán, tan-tán, ta-lán,
los niños and their books.

Celebrate with piñatas
and musica de colores,
add the papel picado
and baskets and baskets of books,

Silly and sad, scary and glad,
baskets of delicious books.

Read to a favorite person,
read to lizards and cats,
read to the moon humming a tune
as you read from your baskets of books.

El día de los niños: El día de los libros,
the day of children and their books,
ta-lán, ta-lán, tan-tán, ta-lán,
the children and their books.

This is a song that keeps growing,
in Chinese or Navajo too,
so add your verse and sing along,
on this day of children and books.

El día de los niños: El día de los libros,
the day of children and their books,
ta-lán, ta-lán, tan-tán, ta-lán,
los niños and their books.

by Pat Mora