The Hard Sell

There's a depressing article about the Bologna Children's Bookfair over at The Economist.

Here's a taste of the bitter pill:

THE children's book fair in Bologna this week was full of the bubble and squeak that such events elicit. But a serious sub-theme lurked: how to revive picture books, those lavishly illustrated creations that teach children to love books long before they can read them....

I don't actually read The Economist, so thanks to Achukablog for the link. The article talks about the prohibitive cost of picture books, and how in the current market that's making them a very hard sell. It's a bit of a heartbreaker.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Ugh. I need a drink after reading that.

Funny... Earlier this week I was talking to a friend who writes children's fiction about that whole "culture of safety" issue.

There are no easy answers...
Sara O'Leary said…
Oh yes, Patricia. Let's both have a drink. What shall we toast to? The bottom line?

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