On 3 to 14 October 2018 we will celebrate Kinderboekenweek or the Children’s Book Week in the Netherlands! Kinderboekenweek is an annual “week” of ten days in September and October for the promotion of (Dutch) children’s book. Kinderboekenweek has been held since 1955 with different theme each year. This year, the theme of Kinderboekenweek is Vriendschap: Kom erbij! or Friendship: Join us!

During Kinderboekenweek, participating bookstores will donate a Kinderboekenweek Gift to buyers who spend a certain amount on children’s book, such as on Jip en Janneke books, the illustration Adora made for this post. The Kinderboekenweek Gift is usually a book published by the foundation of Collectieve Propaganda van het Nederlandse Boek or the Collective Propaganda of the Dutch Book (CPNB), and the amount that has to be spent to get the Kinderboekenweek Gift is €10.

For Kinderboekenweek, the CPNB foundation also develops a curriculum on children’s book for primary education. When developing the curriculum, attention is also given to Zilveren Griffel and Gouden Griffel, two of the most important literary prizes for Dutch-language children literature. Schools can order the books in the curriculum from bookstores in the spring and use them during Kinderboekenweek. There are also various information guides about books available at the bookstore for free, such as the Reading Guide and the Children’s Book Mill . These are free journals with an overview of books that are distributed among primary schools, bookshops, and libraries.

Libraries also hold special reading events and other various activities during Kinderboekenweek, such as writer talks, author signing, read-aloud events, and many more.

If you are in the Netherlands, make sure to take your kids, nieces or nephews, granddaughters or grandsons to Kinderboekenweek events, as they are a great start to introduce the joy of reading to children! If you are not in the Netherlands, no worries! You could still share the spirit by taking children to your nearest library or bookstores, and introduce them to the fascinating world of books and literature!