The Tomi Ungerer Estate Goes to the 2026 Edition of the Bologna Children's Book Fair

Bologna remains one of the most important dates in the children's book calendar, and this year's fair was a productive and stimulating few days for the Tomi Ungerer Estate.

The Estate was represented in two of the fair's most thoughtful public sessions, both of which drew real engagement from audiences and confirmed that Ungerer's legacy continues to sit at the heart of the most urgent conversations in children's publishing.

The first was The Next Chapter Café, a panel organised by Bologna Children's Book Fair in cooperation with the Tomi Ungerer Estate. Aria Ungerer moderated a conversation with the teams behind two new children's play museums — La Maison des Histoires in Paris and The Rabbit Hole Museum of Children's Books in Kansas City. The session examined how picture books can become physical spaces of play and discovery, and explored the pressures facing publishers and booksellers at a time when digital distractions compete for children's attention.

The second session, The Living Archive: Lessons from Ungerer, Komagata and Sendak, took place at the Illustrators Survival Corner Masterclass Area. Aria Ungerer joined Lynn Caponera of the Maurice Sendak Foundation and Ai Komagata of Gallery Komagata to address one of the most pressing questions in the field: how do we best preserve and promote the artistic legacies of iconic authors? Each brought a distinct perspective, and genuine insight.

Both sessions were highlights of the fair. The Estate left Bologna, as it so often does, inspired and full of energetic ideas for the rest of the year.