International Day of Families: what ‘family’ really means for us at Living Paintings

A heart, stretching skyward, to form the roof of a house. Surrounding it, a green circle. Though likely unfamiliar to many, this is the symbol of International Day of Families, a day that means a lot to us at Living Paintings. Share our top picks of books that celebrate families, chosen families, and the adults who shape childrens’ lives.

International Day of Families, which takes place May 15th every year, was established in 1993 (by the United Nations, no less!) with the aim of reflecting the importance of international community and promoting awareness of issues relating to families.

Family is at the heart of what we do at Living Paintings. Though our goal has always been to make the impossible possible for blind and visually impaired children, a secondary effect of this is the powerful bonding effect our books have on families.

Books, put simply, have the power to bring people together. Through reading stories other than our own, we become more rounded human beings, and it all begins with picture books. Though picture books are designed to engage and delight young children, they are also educational in nature, teaching important skills such as counting (Spot Can Count), as well as how to identify with others.

We learn a great deal of empathy and understanding from the books we read. For International Day of Families, we’re thinking about all the books in our library that celebrate new and interesting family dynamics. If you’re a library member, you can check them out COMPLETELY FREE!

Thanks to our incredible tactile audio books, assembled by our brilliant team of volunteers, blind and visually impaired people are able to experience the same books as their sighted peers!

So, this May 15th, we’re celebrating all the forms that ‘family’ takes, whether through relation or through kinship, and the magic of storytelling, which brings families closer together in understanding.

Happy International Day of Families, everyone!