Bookstores

One of my favourite things to do when I travel is to explore children´s bookstores. There are so many beautiful and interesting stores to visit in the world! Tracking down these stores will often also take you outside the touristy tracks, reveal new neighboorhoods and give you a taste of the local everyday life in the city.

I only recommend stores that I have personally visited and truly enjoyed. Italy is therefore over-represented, both because it is my favourite place to travel, and because Italians really take children´s literature seriously - even the smaller cities will have multiple wonderful shops packed with picturebooks. 

And whenever you have the chance - please select a small, independent bookstore to make your silent book purchases. All of these stores have hardworking owners that find themselves in constant competition with huge online stores and bookstore chains. The giants might be a little bit cheaper, but they can not compete with the customer service and knowledge you will find in the stores below.

If you know about a wonderful bookstore that is not listed, please send me a hint, maybe I will get a chance to explore it someday!