The Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) celebrated its 62nd edition from March 31 to April 3, 2025, at the BolognaFiere Exhibition Centre, where the vibrant world of children’s literature came alive. With over 61 years of experience, BCBF continued to be a pivotal event, uniting a diverse global audience and fostering invaluable connections within the publishing industry.
Bologna transformed into the epicenter of illustration and publishing for children and young adults, with Estonia proudly serving as the guest of honor. This Baltic nation showcased its rich publishing market, emphasizing high-quality content that preserved its culture and language.
Flying from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Bologna, Italy, Citi of Books did not miss the chance to attend this amazing book fair showcasing our authors’ spectacular works amidst the global celebration of creativity and collaboration in Bologna.
A book included in the gallery was “Alisa in Washerland (Japanese Edition)” by Marian Flores.
Author and illustrator, Marian Flores attended Paier School of Art, where she earned a certificate in Advertising and Commercial Art. After working for many years as a graphic artist, she returned to college in 2002, graduating from Naugatuck Valley Community College in 2004, where she received an A.S in General studies.
In preparation for a career teaching art, she will graduate Central Connecticut State University in December 2006, with a B.S. in Art Education. Marian currently resides in Wolcott, CT, with her husband, Pete, and son Richard.
“Alisa in Washerland (Japanese Edition)” is a contemporary twist and plays on words with the classic book, Alice in Wonderland, inspired by the author’s dislike for washing dishes as a child, and her nieces’ disdain for putting dishes into the dishwasher. When Marian’s sister had a dream that she was living in the dishwasher, she found a way to combine all these things into this whimsical fable.
The protagonist of this tale is a ten-year-old girl named Alisa, who hates washing dishes and hopes that she never has to. She wished, then shrank in size and was drawn inside the dishwasher’s magical realm, where she saw strange creatures washing the dishes. Alisa yearned to return to the real world because she missed her friends and family. She made it back into the real world and vowed to never again whine about having to do the dishes.