It was a dream, that I don’t even know how, came true. Here I was, at the Bologna International Children’s Book Fair! I have always been a huge fan of children’s literature, since the time when my inner child was also my outer self :), but the Bologna Book Fair came into my radar only in 2020, when I started publishing my own stories for children ( so far, three books published independently, a fourth coming out in June, all in Portuguese).
This was the 62nd year the event took place in the Italian city of roughly 1 million people —as well as numerous libraries and a downtown area peppered with bookstores. To be fair (no pun intended!) it isn’t just one fair but a combination of a traditional book fair, a publisher’s event and, since last year a TV and film licensing fair, where children’s brands go beyond the pages. The news in 2025 was the inclusion of the gaming industry, a platform for game developers to meet children’s content creators.
What organizers dubbed as “an ecosystem” of all-things kids can enjoy or consume attracted 1,577 exhibitors from 90 countries and over 33 thousand visitors — myself included. I was mesmerized by the plethora of titles and creative illustrations stemming from the four corners of the globe, quite literally.
As this year’s guest of honor, Estonia had a few large areas exhibiting some exquisite art. The nation has a government office, the Children’s Literature Center, dedicated to promoting books for kids (could we all do that please?) and is celebrating 500 years of the publication of the first Estonian-language book, which did not carry illustrations yet — picture books started to appear in the 19th century. Their artists’ drawings are as varied as they are whimsical and creative.
Roaming around the fair, I bumped into the Comics Corner, where, well, comics’ publishers, were showcasing their catalogs. And there were a lot of interesting and surprising themes. A Brazilian publisher from Bahia, Trem Fantasma, was showcasing titles about African-Brazilian religious figures, or the Brazilian dance/martial art capoeira. At the Translators Corner, panel discussions raised the challenges and opportunities of bringing a publication from one culture to another, while at the Content Cafe writers and illustrators discussed collaboration styles — being in a creative business has its intricacies! PublisHer had a large booth dedicated to women in the publishing business, and some token gifts like the opportunity to have a professional headshot taken — of course I did it! Have yet to see mine, but it was fun to pose in the middle of the crowded event.
I attended a few of the more than 500 talks and panels that were happening throughout the Fair, and whatever was the topic of discussion, the elephant in the room kept being raised: what, and how to create for children, while the world is on fire? With so many children directly affected by conflict, others witnessing a harsh reality through the ubiquitous presence of social media and technology in their lives, how to bring joy, information about the Sustainable Development Goals or awareness of differences? A panel with Ukrainian writers and illustrators was particularly poignant, as they described making sense of reading for kids in ravaged areas. Among the myriad projects showcased at the IBBY, the International Board on Books for Young People, stand a selection of children’s books from and about Palestine was yet another reminder of ways to face the harsh reality so many kids are enduring.
My native Brazil had a strong presence, not only the official booth where the trade agency APEX and the publishing group CBL (Brazil Book Chamber) supported multiple publishers, large and small, but also at the Fair at large. Author Henrique Coser Moreira, winner of the 2024 Illustration Award, was there to launch a beautiful book published after and as part of the award given by Fundación SM, a beautiful poem in images about hope and love titled “La Danza del Cielo y la Tierra.” And then there is Bruno de Almeida, responsible for the gorgeous and whimsical visual identity of the 62nd Edition of the Fair. His drawings surrounded us, and let me tell you, were a cheer of joy.
There was a lot more happening over there, but for now I will wrap raising a cheer to children’s literature, a true door to building a better world!
Cecilia Tornaghi 