2026 International Children’s Book Festival
- Every Story Begins a Journey
- Discovering the World Through Stories
- Festival, International Children's Book Festival, Program for children
Stories bring people together. They open up new perspectives, spark curiosity, and invite us to see the world through different eyes.
The International Children’s Book Festival views children’s literature as a bridge between people, languages, and cultures. Renowned authors, illustrators, and artists invite you to discover stories, ask questions, and get creative yourself—through readings, workshops, storytelling sessions, and discussions.
Look forward to readings with Margit Auer, Isabel Abedi, Efua Traoré, and Isabel Pin; workshop discussions with illustrator Andrea Wandinger; live drawing; bilingual storytelling with Kathleen Rappolt and musician Erik Sjøholm; musical readings; shared reading; translation workshops; philosophical workshops; and a bilingual book fair.
Whether it’s fantasy, friendship, nature, science, or social issues—the festival showcases how children’s literature conveys complex topics in a sensitive, intelligent, and inspiring way. Multilingual events and encounters with international guests make the festival a vibrant place for discovery, participation, and reflection.
A festival pass is available here.
Internationales Kinderbuchfestival goes Schule
Unser Anspruch des Festivals ist es, besonders viele Kinder zu erreichen. Wo geht das besser als in der Schule! Neben dem öffentlichen Programm des Festivals bieten wir deshalb ein separates Schulprogramm an, welches Klassen der Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar besuchen können. Bei Interesse melden Sie sich bitte per E-Mail an: kibu-festival@dai-heidelberg.de
The generous support of the Manfred Lautenschläger Foundation makes the International Children’s Book Festival and the coming together of children, families, and a wide variety of voices possible.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all our partners for their dedication and the trust they have placed in us:
Program
Fri., October 9
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Margit Auer
Reach for the Sky!
Reading, discussion & book signing
Recommended age: 8 and up
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Isabel Abedi & Sarah Schueddekopf
The Longest Night
Literary and musical reading
Recommended age: 14 and up
8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Stories That Inspire Courage
How children’s literature addresses complex topics with sensitivity and honesty
Panel discussion
Sat., October 10
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Bilingual Book Fair for Children and Teens
Languages: German & English
Recommended age: all ages
10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Hans-Bernhard Petermann
Philosophizing with Rigo & Rosa
Workshop
Recommended age: for young people aged 9–13 interested in language and philosophy
Free admission – registration required
11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. & 3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Live-Music in the Library
Erik Sjoholm
Recommended age: all
Free entry
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Open Art Salon
Isabel Pin
Recommended age: all
Free entry
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Shared Reading
Language: English
Free admission – registration required
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Andrea Wandinger
How Does an Idea Become a Book?
Workshop Discussion
Recommended age: Ages 8 and up
3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Live-Music in the Library
Erik Sjoholm
Recommended age: all
Free entry
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Kathleen Rappolt
Die sieben Raben/The Seven Ravens
Storytelling
Language: German & English
Recommended age: Ages 7 and up
Sun., October 11
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Annette Engellandt
Reading – Understanding – Creating: Illustrating Poems
Workshop
Recommended age: 10 and up
Free admission – Registration required
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Isabel Pin draws live
Benoît Mandelbrot: Discovering Patterns in Nature
Recommended age: 8 and up
The event is presented in cooperation with the German-French Cultural Center (dfk).
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Kathleen Rappolt & Erik Sjoholm
Storytelling with Music – Freedombird
Languages: German & English
Recommended age: 8 and up
