In an event that paid tribute to books as passports for new perspectives, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and the United Nations hosted a panel and opening celebration on February 24 for “Turning the Page on Change: Children’s Books Inspiring Action for the Global Goals” at the UN headquarters in New York City. The exhibition showcases more than 170 illustrated books from around the world, including picture books and graphic novels, that introduce young readers to concepts relating to sustainability. Taking place at the UN Bookshop, the evening’s discussion was moderated by Maria Russo, editor-at-large at Union Square Kids and former children’s books editor at the New York Times Book Review. The panelists were author-illustrators Hannah Salyer and Elizabeth Zunon, both of whom have picture books featured in the exhibit.

The project is an extension of the ongoing partnership between BCBF/BolognaFiere and United Nation Publications that began in 2019 with the Sustainable Development Goals Book Club for children and teens, based on the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Previous panels on the subject have been held at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and, in 2025, a Sustainability category was added to the BolognaRagazzi Awards for books that examine one or more of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, each year, the fair hosts a reading of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1959.

Russo kicked off the conversation by asking the creators how their books came to be and how they tie into the Sustainable Development Goals. Salyer explained that her picture book Packs: Strength in Numbers (Clarion, 2020) began with “an image of wolves in a tight composition,” which led her “to explore different species that work together, and why.” In doing so, the book touches on themes of climate action and cooperation, both emphasized in the SDG. “Humans need reminders that we’re animals as well; we’re all on the same planet together,” she said—a fact that’s illustrated on the book’s case cover, featuring various species circling the globe.

Zunon’s 2025 book Through Sand and Salt: A Tale of Discovery Across the Sahara (Bloomsbury) follows a boy named Malik and his father as they traverse the desert with a caravan to deliver salt to Timbuktu. Zunon said of the story’s roots, “I love thinking about where things come from, especially the things we need in our daily lives,” such as food. Throughout the journey, Malik stops in various oasis towns, exchanging salt for other goods. “He learns about different communities and uses the skills he learns from his father,” Zunon said. She believes the book reflects the goal of economic sustainability.

Russo then asked the panelists to share their mission as children’s book creators and how they think about their stories reaching readers around the world. Both authors said that, thanks to translation, their books have crossed borders. Zunon said, “I try to think about how children will be able to connect, even if the characters look different from them. What in their life is similar that they can relate to?” She strives to tell “stories that might not have been shared, about people who might not have been known.”

Salyer said she tries to zoom in and out to present her subject matter in a way that is relevant to kids of all backgrounds and sparks their curiosity about the world. “I really value books that pose questions to the reader,” she noted. Referencing author Sy Montgomery’s memoir, she said she hopes to show children “how to be a good creature.”

The panel was followed by a reception and remarks from Gianluca Greco, deputy permanent representative of Italy to the United Nations; Amina Mohammed, deputy secretary-general; Maher Nasser, director of outreach in the UN department of global communications; and Elena Pasoli, director of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. “Turning the Page on Change” is presented by BCBF/BolognaFiere in collaboration with United Nations Publications and supported by the Italian Trade Agency and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. It opened on February 20, with an event for schoolchildren in honor of UN Kids Day, and will remain on view through March 13. Click here to view the exhibition catalogue.