Reading Together returns to Oodi Library (Helsinki) on April 5 to celebrate the 2025 International Children’s Book Day. This wonderful event will feature workshops, music, and storytelling in 14 languages.
This year’s program includes storytelling in Albanian, Arabic, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian/Montenegrin, English, Farsi, Hindi, Italian, Kannada, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
For the second year in a row, students from the Global Music Department of the University of the Arts Helsinki (Uniarts) will enrich each reading nest with traditional music.
And to complete the program, we couldn’t miss out on workshops and activities. For the first time, these activities will be facilitated primarily in Vietnamese.
This fun multilingual event is part of our project Lukupesä, whose main goal is develop plurilingual reading practices in heritage languages. Reading Together joins the celebration of the 2025 International Children’s Book Day, organised globally by IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People). The main theme will be “The Freedom of Imagination”.
Let’s come together to celebrate the richness of diversity through children’s literature, and the love for reading in our heritage language.
We look forward to seeing you at Oodi! Keep reading and don’t miss the program, co-created by artists and 15 associations, organisations and companies.
🗓 5.4.2025 ⏰ 2-5 pm 📌 Oodi Library (Töölönlahdenkatu 4, 00100 Helsinki) | All activities will be facilitated in different locations of the Chidren’s section (Third floor).
♿ The place is accessible. 🎟️ Free entrance
📚 Thanks to the Multilingual Library, you’ll find lots of books in all 14 languages of the event. So bring your library card and take them home to enjoy with your children!
Reading Together 2025 Program at Oodi Library
Remember, all reading nests will be accompanied by a musician, making the storytelling an interactive and super fun experience!
Find the languages you’re interested in here👇🏾
Storytelling in Italian:
2-3 pm | Events room.
Tania Carluccio, from Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Helsinki.
Storytelling in Swedish:
2-3 pm | Balcony (upstairs area).
Frida Vuorio from association Ad.Astra.
Storytelling in Ukrainian:
2-3 pm | Tove Jansson carpet.
Tetiana Dzivaltovska, from Ukrainalaisten Yhdistys Suomessa ry.
Storytelling and activities in Vietnamese:
2-4 pm | Purple table (upstairs area).
The Association BiziVietnam will offer a storytelling in Vietnamese and workshops.
Storytelling in Albanian:
4-5 pm | Tove Jansson carpet.
Alba Vrapi, from Autokton ry.
Storytelling in Arabic:
3-4 pm | Balcony (upstairs area).
Mirsal association and writer Khalil AbuSharekh.
Storytelling in Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian:
3-4 pm | Tove Jansson carpet.
Maja Bašić, Katarina Jurišić, Dušica Božović.
Storytelling in Portuguese:
3-4 pm | Events room
Marly de Avila Carvalho, from Associação Brasileiros na Finlândia (BiF), and Patricia Ribeiro, from Associação de Professores de Português na Finlândia ry (APPF).
Bilingual storytelling in English and Farsi:
4-5 pm | Balcony (upstairs area).
Helen Odutayo will be reading in English, and Zahra Moradi in Farsi. Espoon monikulttuuriset lapset ja nuoret ry.
Storytelling in Hindi – Kannada:
4-5 pm | Main carpet
Aarthi Sudhindraa from KK Entertainments will be reading in Hindi (4-4:30 pm) and Kannada (4:30-5 pm).
Storytelling in Mandarin:
4-5 pm | Purple table (upstairs area).
Artist Shan Xu.
Storytelling in Spanish:
4-5 pm | Events room.
The team and students of kindergarten Mi Casita, writer Sergio Augusto Sánchez, and Verónica Miranda (Kulttuurikeskus Ninho ry).
Thanks to collective effort, Reading Together will offer an accessible, free, open, and safe space for all families, to enjoy the love of reading in their heritage language.
Download the program and don’t miss it!
We hope you all have a blast!
Reading Together is a Kulttuurikeskus Ninho coproduction with Oodi Library, Uniarts, Multilingual Library, artists involved, and Ad.Astra, Associação Brasileiros na Finlândia (BiF), Associação de Professores de Português na Finlândia ry (APPF), Autokton ry, BiziVietnam, Espoon monikulttuuriset lapset ja nuoret ry, Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Helsinki, KK Entertainments, Mi Casita, Mirsal, Ukrainalaisten Yhdistys Suomessa ry. With the support of Helsinki City, Taike, Moniheli, Svenska Kulturfonden and Pequeño Mundo.