Käpt'n Book — Rhine Reading Festival

The Largest Reading Festival for Young Audiences in Germany

Käpt'n Book was founded in Bonn in 2003 — as a local reading festival intended to spark children's enthusiasm for reading. Over two decades, this initial Bonn event has grown into Germany's largest reading festival for children and young people. Since 2010, the festival has operated as the "Rhine Reading Festival Käpt'n Book" and annually brings together around 25 partner municipalities in the southern Rhineland. In 2026, the event will take place from September 27 to October 11 — two weeks during which libraries, schools, museums, and cultural centres transform into stages for children's literature.

What Makes Käpt'n Book Special

Unlike traditional book fairs that cater to the publishing industry, Käpt'n Book is an experiential festival for children and young people: the authors come to the young readers, not the other way around. Readings are held in schools, libraries, and museums, complemented by theatre productions based on children's books, family cinema, concerts with children's songs, interactive audio play performances, illustration exhibitions, and writing competitions. The programme ranges from picture book readings for preschoolers to readings for young adults from current young adult literature.

Events in Bergisch Gladbach 2026

In Bergisch Gladbach, two important cultural institutions are participating in 2026:

• Kunstmuseum Villa Zanders — with an event on October 11, 2026, marking the festival's conclusion; combining readings with art exhibitions
• Bergisches Museum in Bergisch Gladbach-Bensberg — as an educational partner with its own programme series

The city of Bergisch Gladbach has cooperated with the festival for years and has established itself as an important outpost of the Käpt'n Book family. Current programme details will be published in the festival calendar at kaeptnbook-lesefest.de/kalender.

Programme Formats

• Readings with German-speaking authors — from picture books to young adult novels
• Bilingual readings in multiple languages
• Theatre productions based on children's books
• Film screenings for the whole family
• Interactive audio play performances
• Music events centred around children's book themes
• Illustration exhibitions by well-known children's book illustrators
• Writing competitions for young authors
• Accessible programme offerings

The Rhineland as a Festival Backdrop

The participating municipalities range from the Siebengebirge in the south (Bad Honnef, Remagen) to the Bergisches Land (Bergisch Gladbach, Wachtberg), and from the left bank of the Rhine to the Rhein-Sieg district. This geographical diversity — from the Bonn City Library to a small local history museum in a town of 5,000 inhabitants — contributes to its special charm. Käpt'n Book brings children's literature to where children are: in their own neighbourhood.