Stories in a Fragile World: Why children’s books matter (#435)

This year’s Frankfurt Kids Conference 2025, held as part of the Frankfurt International Book Fair, gathered voices from every corner of the children’s publishing world. Authors, illustrators, translators, and educators.

The theme could hardly be more urgent:

Children’s Books in a Fragile World.

In a time shadowed by war, migration, climate anxiety, censorship, and the digital noise that surrounds childhood, the question is not simply what stories we tell, but why we tell them.

The Fragile Spaces of Imagination

At the conference, a shared concern emerged:

The spaces where children imagine and empathize are shrinking.

Libraries and school programs face tightening budgets. Books are being banned or sanitized for political convenience. And the flood of digital distraction often drowns quiet moments of reflection.

Axel Scheffler, beloved illustrator of The Gruffalo, put it beautifully:

If we want children to imagine a better world, we must first protect the imaginative spaces we give them.

Children’s literature, at its best, is not entertainment alone.

It is a sanctuary.

A place where empathy grows and resilience takes root.

It reminds a child that their feelings are valid, that differences are worth celebrating, and that curiosity is strength, not vulnerability.

From Fragility to Responsibility

To call the world fragile is not to call it weak. It is to acknowledge how much care it needs.

Every children’s book that survives from idea to bookshelf is the result of an extraordinary chain of stewardship: the translator who bridges languages, the editor who protects nuance, the illustrator who brings emotion to light, and the teacher or parent who takes the time to read aloud.

When any link in that chain breaks, or when a story disappears, or a young reader is told this book isn’t for you, something precious is lost.

The world of children’s books becomes, quite literally, more fragile.

Stories as Acts of Hope

As an author and conservation photographer, I see children’s picture books not only as art but as acts of environmental and emotional stewardship.

They are small lights against the darkness, teaching empathy for living creatures, wonder for the natural world, and courage in uncertain times.

Whether the story is about a lioness in the savannah, an ibis searching for belonging, or a child learning to listen to the wind, each tale plants a seed of connection between the reader and the fragile beauty around them.

Looking Forward

The Frankfurt conference reminds us that children’s books can help heal the fractures of our age by keeping wonder alive and encouraging dialogue across cultures and generations.

Our challenge, as creators, is to write with care, humility, and truth.

Because when children feel seen and understood in stories, it ripples outward, shaping a gentler, more conscious world.

And in times like these, that is not just publishing.

It’s preservation.

Further Reading

Frankfurt Book Fair 2025: Children’s Books in a Fragile World. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/international/Frankfurt-Book-Fair/article/98712-frankfurt-book-fair-2025-children-s-books-in-a-fragile-world.html

• The Children's Books in a Fragile World Conference highlighted children's literature as a vital tool for building resilience, empathy, and imagination, amidst global challenges like war, climate issues, and censorship.

• Speakers emphasized that protecting children's imaginative spaces, and ensuring access to diverse stories, are crucial acts of hope in confronting difficult realities.

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