Senate Resolution No. 1047

BY: Senator MAYER

LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION memorializing Governor
Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim April 2, 2019, as
Children's Book Day in the State of New York

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize
official days that are set aside to increase awareness of initiatives
which affect the lives of citizens of New York State; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim April 2, 2019, as
Children's Book Day in the State of New York, in conjunction with the
observance of International Children's Book Day; and

WHEREAS, Since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen's birthday
on April 2nd, International Children's Book Day (ICBD) is celebrated to
inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's books; and

WHEREAS, The International Board of Books for Young People (IBBY) is
a non-profit organization which represents an international network of
people from all over the world who are committed to bringing books and
children together by promoting international understanding through
children's books; giving children everywhere the opportunity to have
access to books with high literary and artistic standards; encouraging
the publication and distribution of quality children's books, especially
in developing countries; providing support and training for those
involved with children and children's literature; stimulating research
and scholarly works in the field of children's literature; and
protecting and upholding the Rights of the Child according to the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child; and

WHEREAS, IBBY was founded in Zurich, Switzerland, and is composed of
about 70 member countries which are called National Sections; each year
a different National Section has the opportunity to be the international
sponsor of ICBD; it decides upon a theme and invites a prominent author
from the host country to write a message to the children of the world
and a well-known illustrator to design a poster which are used in
different ways to promote books and reading; and

WHEREAS, This year's international sponsor is Lithuania, and their
theme is "Books Help us to Slow Down"; in books, things happen quietly
and in a precisely arranged order, and events of the past calmly meet
events that are yet to come; and

WHEREAS, Whether it is in the library during story time or at home
before bed, we can help create a lifelong reader by showing children how
wonderful books are at a young age; and

WHEREAS, Studies show that children who are read to at least three
times a week are almost twice as likely to score in the top 25% in
reading scores; and

WHEREAS, The universe of a book is wide open; it happily fuses
reality with imagination and fantasy; books help us not to rush, books
teach us to notice things, and books invite us or even make us sit down
for a while; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to help increase
awareness of initiatives which affect the lives of citizens of New York
State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim April 2, 2019, as
Children's Book Day in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of
New York.