By Paul Birkhead
Rowan Public Library

April is a month full of special days and events. From the very first day, when practical jokes and tomfoolery reign, to the last day, when raisins and oatmeal cookies are recognized, April gives us many days to celebrate. A Rowan Public Library staff member (hats off to you, Taelor) is known for making fellow employees aware of some of these days. If you want to learn more about what is being recognized on a particular day or week, the library is sure to have information about it.

Many religions have celebrations during the month of April this year. For instance, Ramadan is a month-long event that began April 2 and includes fasting, prayer, reflection and community. Rama Navami is a Hindu spring festival that was celebrated on April 10. Easter, which falls on April 17 this year, is the Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Beginning at sunset on April 15, Passover is an 8-day Jewish holiday that commemorates the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. If you’re interested in learning more about these religions and what their beliefs and customs are, check the library catalog or ask one of the librarians at your local branch for assistance.

Several days in April recognize a particular food or drink. For instance, April 5 was National Deep Dish Pizza Day. That was closely followed on April 8 by National Empanada Day. To commemorate these two days, I’d like to recommend some books that are fairly new to the library. “The Joy of Pizza” by Dan Richer and “Perfect Pan Pizza” by Peter Reinhart are both excellent choices if you want to learn how to make your own delicious pizza at home. If empanadas are more your thing, make sure to check out “Provecho: 100 Vegan Mexican Recipes to Celebrate Culture and Community” by Edgar Castrejon and also “Treasures of the Mexican Table” by Pati Jinich.

With it being April, I just have to mention the start of baseball season. If you love the sport like I do, you’ll want to read two great books about early African-American baseball. One is “The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell” by Lonnie Wheeler and the other is “Comeback Season: My Unlikely Story of Friendship with the Greatest Living Negro League Baseball Players” by Cam Perron.

If you like the great outdoors, then celebrate these special days in April. Earth Day is on Friday, the 22nd and National Picnic Day is the very next day. The library has a plethora of books on the outdoors. Topics include walking, climbing, hiking, birding, fishing and camping, as well as flower and tree identification. Does all that outdoor activity make you hungry? If so, you’ll want to check out “Skewered: Recipes for Fire Food on Sticks from Around the World” by Marcus Bawdon. There’s also “The Campout Cookbook: Inspired Recipes for Cooking Around the Fire and Under the Stars” by Marnie Hanel.

Whether you’d like to know more about salty (National Pretzel Day — April 26) or sweet (National Blueberry Pie Day — April 28), silly (Bugs Bunny Day — April 30) or serious (National Sarcoidosis Day — April 30), Rowan Public Library can help you discover things worth recognizing all month long.

Paul Birkhead is reference librarian at the Rowan Public Library South Branch.