The German Children's Book Prize Kicks Off the 2025 Book Prize Season / Submissions Are Now Being Accepted

Heeslingen, February 24, 2025.The German Children’s Book Prize is entering its fifth edition and kicking off the 2025 award year. Children’s books can now be submitted for Germany’s most lucrative book prize. The award ceremony will take place in October, around the time of the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Since its inception in 2021, the German Children’s Book Prize has become firmly established. This year, once again, a shortlist of the ten most creative children’s books will be compiled. The authors and illustrators can look forward to attractive cash prizes.

What makes the German Children's Book Prize special is that the winners are chosen by children themselves. A 32-member children's jury—with two children from each federal state—selects the winners from a shortlist previously compiled by an adult jury.

Authors, publishers, and interested children and adults can now apply to join the two juries and submit books via the official website of the German Children’s Book Prize (www.deutscher-kinderbuchpreis.com). The application deadline for the adult jury is April 30, 2025, and for the children’s jury, May 31, 2025. The submission deadline for all books is May 31, 2025. The adult jury will evaluate the submitted works immediately thereafter. The awards ceremony is scheduled for October 11, 2025.

Following last year’s award ceremony in Cologne, this year’s award will be presented in a different German city. The organizers change the venue annually to promote children’s literature in various regions of Germany and to draw public attention to this important topic. The award recognizes outstanding, valuable, and engaging new children’s books written in German.

Jasmin Schröter, founder of the award, emphasizes: “We are very proud that our children’s book award, which was launched in 2021, is becoming more firmly established in Germany with each passing year. In addition to promoting reading among children aged six to eight, the past four award ceremonies have shown one thing above all: everyone involved—children and adults on the juries, the award winners, and we as organizers—really enjoy this project and are fully committed to it. The award ceremony in particular is always a wonderful event. We hope that the number of books submitted will increase even further this year. After all, our goal is to see more children’s books published in Germany that help young people develop a love of reading as early as possible.”

The winner of the German Children's Book Prize receives a cash prize of 50,000 euros. Second place is awarded 10,000 euros, and third place 5,000 euros. Fourth through tenth place each receive 2,500 euros. In addition, there is a special prize for the best illustration, which is worth 10,000 euros.