Children First Global Book Fair Programme 2025
More about the artists, authors, teachers and volunteers!
A big thanks to all of our teachers, readers, artists and volunteers who have donated their time to support the cause.
Seashells & Stories is brought to you by Bianca Gasparro, Children First “Creative Hort” teacher and KidsAtelier founder. Bianca is passionate about helping children grow creatively and believes “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” (Albert Einstein)
Family Fun Painting Experience is brought to you by Simona Madonna. Simona is an abstract artist and dedicated educator. Her professional workshops include Creative Harmony and Art from Within. She loves to help adults connect to their inner creativity and help families bond through creative experiences.
Learn, practice, play, it’s the Playball way! Through this unique multisport programme Byron McGaw motivates boys and girls to lead an active positive life. Playball teaches children the fundamental skills of jumping, throwing, rolling, hitting, catching, and kicking — building a strong foundation for a wide range of sports.
Artist Julia Hürlimann, MA in Visual Communication (ZHdK), has illustrated 2 children’s books including “Ich will selbst” and “Brownie und Weisslinde”. Julia loves to blend text, painting, and illustration to capture fleeting thoughts, memories, and everyday moments.
Author Alexandra Teleru hopes to bring families closer, spark giggles, and start all sorts of fun conversations with her books. Her latest books include “There’s Something in my Shoe” and “Anty Antics.”
Author H.S. Norup is the award-winning author of Into the Faerie Hill, The Hungry Ghost and The Missing Barbegazi. She writes stories for children that are set in the borderlands between real and imaginary worlds
Li Ma of Lilliputi is passionate about making children smile through her artistry and face painting creations.
And a special thanks to all those who donated their beloved children’s books for a good cause. We appreciate your generosity.
Thank you to our supporters:
The Grain Restaurant
Zürichbergstrasse 71, 8044 Zürich
Great place for families to stop for a meal before or after a trip to the zoo and don’t miss the Sunday brunch!
The American Women's Club of Zürich
The American Women’s Club of Zurich offers a social network for English speakers of all nationalities living in the Zurich area. It’s home to one of the largest English-language libraries in the Zurich area.
Pop by during the library opening hours: Wednesday and Fridays 10:00 – 18:00.
Lakeside School Küsnacht
GZ Affoltern
https://gz-zh.ch/gz-affoltern/
Enjoy a coffee surrounded by lush greenery while your little ones have fun on the indoor slide.
Upcoming events:
SwissMusiKids
At SwissMusiKids, every child can learn the violin with joy through the world-famous Suzuki method.
Children First offers the SwissMusiKids’ “MusiGruppe” class for 0-3 year olds which introduces children to the world of music in a playful way.
Thank you to all those who donated raffle prizes:
More than a Book Fair
In loving memory of Kishori
The Children First Global Book Fair honours the life of Kishori Salter who tragically lost her life in 2016 at age 21 after an allergic reaction. Kishori, who had a love of learning modern languages, established the first bookfair at Children First to raise funds for charity in 2014. Proceeds from sales at the Children First bookfair on 24th May 2025 will go to Room to Read at a crucial time for children’s literacy worldwide.
A personal message from Monica Shah Zeeman about the Global Book Fair and her niece, Kishori.
Proceeds go to charity: Room to Read
Why Room to Read?
Many world problems can be addressed through one solution: education. Why? Because knowing how to read makes people safer, healthier and more self-sufficient — yet nearly 800 million people are illiterate and two thirds are women and girls. That’s why Room to Read’s innovative model focuses on deep, systematic transformation within schools in low-income countries during the two most critical time periods in a child’s schooling: early primary school for literacy acquisition and secondary school for girls’ education.
Just like Room to Read, we believe that world change starts with educated children. So, join us in our journey to change the world. Every contribution helps!
