The 2025 China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF), held at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre, drew to a successful close on 16 November. This year’s edition welcomed 474 exhibitors from 35 countries and regions, presenting over 20,000 of the latest Chinese and international children’s books. According to the organisers, by the time of publication, the fair had facilitated nearly 1,000 copyright trade meetings, generated approx. RMB 15 million in book sales, and nearly RMB 2 million in licensed merchandise revenue.
Over the three days, the fair received 42,387 visitors, including 15,765 professional visitors from the publishing, education, cultural and related industries. A total of 322 official programmes, book launches, and reading-promotion activities took place. Through deep integration with the city’s cultural venues and initiatives connecting Culture, Tourism, Business, Sports, and Exhibitions, CCBF continued to invigorate the wider children’s content ecosystem, highlighting the sector’s creative vitality and its global growth potential.
Chinese and International Exhibitors Share Achievements and Explore the Future of Children’s Content
This year saw the participation of 194 international exhibitors, over one-third of whom have returned for three consecutive years or more. Many overseas publishers remarked that CCBF continues to improve in terms of business opportunities, professional exchange and overall visitor experience.
Dean Cornish of Igloo Books (UK) affirmed the strategic importance of the Chinese market, particularly for literature and educational titles: “China is a very important market for us, and English-language books are performing particularly well, especially novelty titles and educational books. We have seen sales in China continue to rise, and we believe there is still significant room for further growth.” Daria Yakunina of Polyandria Publishing House (Russia) highlighted that CCBF provides an effective platform for Russian creators: “We have published a lot of Chinese illustrators’ works in Russia. We have bought numerous rights and published picture books. This fair continues to strengthen Sino-Russian exchanges in children’s publishing.” Cristina Pase of Windy Hollow Books (Australia) commented: “It’s really a great opportunity to see what Chinese publishers are looking for.” Kim Jin Bom, representing the Foreign Languages Publishing House of the DPRK in Shenyang, noted that this marked the first time in history that the DPRK sent a children’s book delegation abroad for an international cultural exchange.
Chinese exhibitors also engaged visitors through diverse activities. Jieli Publishing House hosted 13 events, including launches, reading sessions and interactive programmes. The Hong Kong Pavilion presented over 330 creative works from 70+ Hong Kong publishers, showcasing strengths in printing, cross-media storytelling, and global outlook, thereby enhancing cooperation between Shanghai and Hong Kong in publishing and printing. Juvenile & Children’s Publishing House introduced a range of new releases—including the AI Children’s Explorer Camera, the 90th Anniversary of Sanmao, and The School Life of Xiaoxianggu. The XHCC·NEW DREAMS initiative featured collaborative exhibitions, VR galleries, and cultural-creative experiences, offering young visitors an immersive encounter with art and imagination.
Spotlight on New Books —— Key Annual Titles Released Collectively
Debuting this year, the Spotlight on New Books exhibition became a visual centrepiece. Designed by an Italian creative team, it featured 270 key new titles from 14 countries suspended from the ceiling on fine threads, forming an atmospheric “reading forest.”
Visitors explored a global selection of picture books, literature, science titles and multimedia works. Several high-profile books premiered globally at CCBF, including: Nature Lessons in the City (Juvenile & Children’s Publishing House), The Great China Treasure Hunt – Mythical Creatures Power Station 17 (21st Century Publishing Group), Cultural Relics in Chinese History (New Buds Publishing House), and Journey to the West and Water Margin picture book editions (Hefei Fox Family Education and Technology Company Ltd.)
Professional Conferences Highlight Global Trends
The fair hosted 18 Official Conference and Seminars, examining industry trends, business innovation, IP operations, reading promotion, illustration, and cross-sector collaboration.
At the International Children’s Reading Promotion Forum, speakers from China and Malaysia noted that digital environments are reshaping children’s reading habits, while raising challenges concerning content quality, affordability and support for children with special needs.
During the Chinese and Global Children’s Book Retail Market Analysis: 2025 Trends and Data, Hazel Kenyon, Commercial Director at NielsenIQ BookData, reported that 15 out of 18 monitored markets were growing as of August, with Brazil and India seeing increases above 10%. According to Beijing OpenBook, from January to October 2025, China’s children’s book retail market saw a slight 0.48% decline, though content-driven e-commerce accounted for nearly 50% of total sales, and science titles performed particularly well.
The Innovative Practices and Global Perspective in IP Operations session presented opportunities for multi-platform and localised IP development, with speakers from Disney, Medialink Group, Guangzhou Art-land Holding Company, SCLA, and Rights and Brands Asia sharing successful case studies.
Renowned illustrator Sydney Smith and Chinese picture-book artist Zhou Xiang led a dialogue on light, shadow, and narrative. Japanese author Shinsuke Yoshitake offered reflections on humour and everyday observation, drawing wide acclaim.
The Illustrators Survival Corner featured Øyvind Torseter, Matthew Forsythe, A Geng, Hei Mi and others, delivering 12 masterclasses, 9 workshops and 27 portfolio reviews for 1,808 young illustrators. The Illustrators Avenue showcased 88 illustrators from China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and beyond, enriching the fair’s international creative atmosphere.
Comic Exhibition Showcases the Cross – Cultural Charm of Visual Storytelling
The special exhibition Children Plus– COMICS: Exploring the World, One Bubble at a Time demonstrated the role of comics in early learning, language development and youth reading. Displaying 300 works from China and abroad, it presented visual-reading journeys from early childhood to adolescence.
Curator Grazia Gotti emphasised the communicative power of visual narratives. Japanese manga artist Yutaka Hara noted that although parents in Japan often view comics differently from traditional children’s books due to their minimal text, comics greatly stimulate imagination. Artist A Geng shared examples of comics’ expansion into gaming and film, while Ruan Yunting proposed the “dual core” for comics— “understanding oneself inwardly and observing the world outwardly”. Tang Ling, Editor-in-Chief of Jieli Publishing, discussed the evolution of graphic novels from niche to mainstream. Speakers agreed that comics now have grown beyond entertainment and should play increasingly important roles in education, reading promotion and international cooperation.
Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Award Announces Annual Winners
The results of the 2025 Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition (Golden Pinwheel) were announced during the fair. Submissions were received from 78 countries and regions, with 69 finalist works displayed onsite. In the Book Publishing Category, the Grand Award (China) went to The Oriental Jewel: Crested Ibis by Chinese illustrator Zheng Feng while the Grand Award (International) was awarded to I Am a Hero by Iranian illustrator Parvin Heydarizadeh. Special Mentions were given to May It Never End by Ximo Abadía from Spain, My Tree’s Braid by Amanda Mijangos from Mexico, and Beware! Darkness by Zhu Ruoge from China. The People’s Choice Award went to Our River by Chinese illustrator Angie Kang. In the Commercial Category, the Grand Award was given to We Are All Sinking by Italian illustrator Jacopo Riccardi, with Special Mentions recognising three Chinese illustrators: The “Dazi” Culture by Jia Mengqian, the Aranya Theatre Festival Poster Series by Su Xiaoci, and Hotpot by Dafne Wang.
Expanding Global Engagement in Children’s Content
CCBF Moves Forward into a New Phase
CCBF 2025 offered a compelling showcase of the latest developments shaping the global children’s content industry, underpinned by a strengthened international network, an expanded body of original creative work, and increasingly vibrant cross-sector collaborations. This year’s fair not only deepened partnerships between China and the international publishing community but also reaffirmed its leading role in promoting children’s reading, driving industry innovation, and enriching Shanghai’s cultural landscape.
As CCBF looks to the future, it will continue to deepen international exchange, nurture the development of original content, and strengthen collaboration across the industry. The fair will further promote the integration of culture, tourism, business, sports, and exhibitions, creating new avenues for innovation and partnership within the global children’s content sector, while sharing with the world the growing vitality of children’s reading in China.