The 17th International Children’s and Youth Book Fair brought together 155 publishing houses from nine countries. The visitors can find 15,000 book titles covering all the areas, IPN reports.

In the opening of the fair on April 18, Claudia Balaban, head of the Moldova National Section of the International Board on Books for Young People, said the event expands and becomes more popular with the public every year. “The fair extended and turned into an even nicer event. This year’s edition is dedicated to writer Spiridon Vangheli. We will stage more events dedicated to the master,” stated Claudia Balaban, adding that more than 110 new book titles will be launched at the fair this year.

Head of Parliament Marian Lupu ha sponsored the event since 2005. He said that he is proud of this fact. Marian Lupu visited every stand and bought several books, wishing the children “Welcome in the Magic World of the Books”.

The fair will last until April 21. It includes book launches, symposiums, radio programs for children, workshops, and a literary evening dedicated to Spiridon Vangheli. The surprise book this year is “Ionut’s Adventures” by Aurelian Silvestru. 15,000 children who will visit the fair will receive this book as a present.