Wanted: The best stories … and the people who bring them to life / The 2026 German Children's Book Prize is now open

Heeslingen, December 23, 2025.Amid dragons, female detectives, and invisible friends, the German Children’s Book Prize will once again be searching for stories in 2026 that can spark an interest in books and reading. This year, the prize will also involve people who will serve as ambassadors to share these stories with the world.

The stage is now set: Newly published children’s books can once again be submitted for the German Children’s Book Prize for the upcoming 2026 award cycle. Eligible titles are those that have been published or will be published for the first time in German during the specified period and are aimed at children between the ages of six and eight. In addition, they should be understandable without prior knowledge of a book series.

The submitted books first undergo a preliminary selection by a jury of adults, after which a jury of children selects the winning title from a shortlist of ten. In the fall of 2026, the winning title will be honored alongside other award winners at a gala event held around the time of the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Now in its sixth year, the German Children’s Book Prize is introducing a new initiative as part of its ongoing evolution: For the first time, the prize is seeking dedicated reading ambassadors for 2026. Their mission is to inspire children’s enthusiasm for stories, raise awareness of the year’s best children’s book, and thereby strengthen the promotion of reading in Germany. Those interested can apply online now atwww.deutscher-kinderbuchpreis.com/kinderbuchpreis-botschafter.

“Reading is a key to the world: it sparks the imagination, opens up new perspectives for children, imparts knowledge, lays the foundation for a self-determined life, and thereby makes children strong and self-confident,” says founder Jasmin Schröter. “With the German Children’s Book Prize, we want to help children discover the joy of reading and further develop their reading skills. Another goal is to give visibility to those who spark this enthusiasm for reading with their books.”

The German Children’s Book Prize is designed to specifically promote the development of children’s literature and bring children’s books more into the public eye. The prize is aimed at children learning to read, as well as parents, grandparents, educators, and anyone with a passion for children’s books, with the goal of strengthening reading skills as the foundation for social participation and providing children with early access to culture. Further information is available atwww.deutscher-kinderbuchpreis.com.