The international exhibitions center “Moldexpo” during April 19-22 will host the 22nd International Children’s and Youth Book Fair. The event enables the visitors to know more national and foreign publishing houses, to learn about new book titles, to take part in discussions and meetings with writers, creation workshops and contests and to also purchase books at lower prices, IPN reports.

In a press release, the National Children’s Library “Ion Creanga” said this year’s fair will involve about 150 publishing houses and book distributors from nine countries, namely Moldova, Romania, France, Germany, China, Lithuania, Russia, Poland and Ukraine.

The fair will be officially opened at 10am on April 19. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, this will work between 9am and 6pm, while on Sunday between 9am and 4pm.

The surprise-book that will be given to children-visitors this year is Vasile Romanciuc’s book “Small poems for growing up”. About 80 book titles will be launched during the event.

The event will involve a series of exhibitions, a ceremony to award the winners of the contest “New adventures of favorite animated cartoon characters”, a reading contest and the international conference “Literature and children’s book in the modern world”.

At 11am on April 19, Japan’s Ambassador Masanobu Yoshii will read two Japanese stories to children and will discuss the role of books in his life with them.

The festivity to award the laureates of the fair will take place at midday on April 22.