Ceremony of the Global Children's Books Day:
With the magic of words let's teach our children to bud

By Minoo Mahzari, Amordad correspondent
TEHRAN (Amordadnews): In this ceremony which was held, this year, with a delay of one week, Ahmad Reza Ahmadi, one of the pioneer and well known authors of Iran in the field of Children's literature, read his message for this day. 
In his message he said:  "We, authors of children's literature, know that the true aim of our words is to enrich the human souls and all the efforts of children's literature are to fight with life's impurities.  It is for this sake that the souls of human beings have to be cleaned.  The big disaster happens when we plant strange philosophies into the daily dreams and imaginations of children.  With the magic of our words we should teach our children to bud and grow.
In another part of his message, Ahmadi said: "Children are not only my listeners but rather they are my only friends.  Thinking of them makes me forget about 'death'.  Consider me as a very patient man who will, until the last day of his life, always and forever write the story of life for children.  I am always wandering on this earth, and have to quickly pass by the grief of children, grief that is mixed with poverty and hunger.  I only know that children should be able to see.  I love to see."
Every year, the World Children's Day is celebrated on 4 Farvardin (3rd April ), the day that the famous author of children's stories, Hans Christian Anderson, was born.  This year, the celebration was held on 20 Farvardin (13th Arpil 2009) in the Children and Youth Author's Club.

Translation by Rowshan Lohrasbpour