Hoping to ignite the flame that inspires young readers to make a difference, the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader have released the slogan for this year’s Children’s Book Week, “Read Books. Spark Change.”

“We felt that this theme was particularly apt for the times and speaks to the power that books and stories have to inspire positive change,” said associate executive director Shaina Birkhead. “Books can spark change with an individual reader, a family, a classroom, or a whole community.”

The 2023 event, which will be held May 1–7 and November 6–12, marks the fifth year of hosting two week-long celebrations, with a special educator kit offered in the fall.

Poster and Bookmark Illustrators Named

Australian-born illustrator Rilla Alexander will serve as this year’s Book Week poster artist. She was chosen by the Every Child a Reader board for her ability to capture the theme of sparking change in her artwork. The author-illustrator of The New Rooster and Touchwords grew up in the countryside, where Alexander and her younger sisters played in the backyard and in their playhouse, dubbed Sunshine Cottage. She is also the creator of Hippo Park Pals, a series of miniature picture books published by Hippo Park, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers. Alexander, who currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband and their puppy, recalls what inspired her to design this year’s poster. “I kept coming back to the butterfly effect and how, even if you’re small, you can make a big difference,” she told PW. Her poster design features a child wearing a book on her back, resembling butterfly wings. “In the process, our hero shows a caterpillar that it can change and fly, too,” she explained. “Eventually, I realized the pages of the open book were the spark, inspiring imagination and creativity.”

Each Book Week participant is eligible to receive two free posters, which will be distributed to libraries, schools, and homes, amounting to an estimated 15,000 posters. (The poster and accompanying activities can be viewed here.) Bookmarks will be available in early March and will feature activities designed by K. O’Neill, Alfreda Beartrack-Algeo, Briana Mukodiri Uchendu, Lian Cho, and Jey Odin.

Registration for Book Week is currently underway and can be completed online.