About

Papperlapapp, the bilingual picture book magazine for children aged five and up, is published quarterly. Each edition of the magazine features parallel bilingual text, which is printed in German and one other language prevalent within immigrant communities in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. The magazine currently exists in the following eleven language combinations: German/English, German/Albanian, German/Arabic, German/Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, German/Chechen, German/French, German/Farsi, German/Polish, German/Romanian, , German/Turkish and German/Ukrainian for children who speak German as their first language or whose native language is not very common in German-speaking countries.

Publishers or educational institutions expressing an interest in any other language combinations are very welcome to get in touch via email: foreignrights@papperlapapp.co.at.

Every issue, containing 40 pages, is based on a topic that is relevant and interesting to children. Some past examples include: outer space, dinosaurs, courage, anger and boredom. As a general rule, each issue includes seven different features: two main stories, a comic, a hidden object game, brainteasers, a craft activity and a page that gives children space to do some drawings relating to the topic.

Colourful and imaginative, cheerful and thought-provoking, fun and sweet – Papperlapapp has plenty of surprises in store with its emotion, wit and humour, plus a deliberate departure from a strict style of teaching. The stories and other texts, written by renowned authors, are a delight to read aloud and also encourage children to read on their own. Established and up-and-coming illustrators from around the world create wonderfully unique imagery. All of this makes children want to look at and listen to Papperlapapp, which provides plenty of opportunities for discussion.

Papperlapapp magazines are designed to be used to support (early) language development both at home and in preschool and primary school. When used in an educational setting, it is best if the magazines are first read aloud and discussed at home in the child’s first language. This allows children to familiarise themselves with the content so they feel more confident and get more involved when the texts are then read and worked on in German at preschool or primary school. As a result, children will find it easier – and more fun – to pick up German, the language they will use in their education.

The aim of Papperlapapp is to spark the joy of reading, inspire a love of the written word and language and encourage readers to immerse themselves in imaginative illustrations of artistic merit.

Papperlapapp helps children from a migrant background

to learn German while receiving support in using their first language at the same time. After all, many scientific studies have shown that the more confident children feel using their first language, the easier they will find it to learn other languages.