The Children's Bookshow

Who we are

The Children’s Bookshow is an annual tour of children’s authors and illustrators from the UK and abroad.

We are a small arts charity funded by Arts Council England and our aim is to delight and inspire children with great poems, beautiful illustrations and gripping storytelling, helping teachers provide their students with a rich and exciting experience of literature and create the readers and writers of tomorrow.

The Children's Bookshow takes children's authors to meet tens of thousands of children, introducing the children to how and why writers write, illustrators illustrate. They give children insights into how they too can transform thoughts and feelings into words and pictures. This is not simply a matter of it being enjoyable, it's a necessary part of what we understand by the word 'education'.
Michael Rosen

Our national tour in the Autumn term brings some of the best children’s authors and illustrators from the UK and abroad to 15 local theatre venues and gives teachers and school children the opportunity to hear world-class artists talk about their work. Authors and artists are passionate about what they do. We want to give children the opportunity to see, hear and connect with that passion so that they are inspired to see themselves as readers and authors in their own right.