Bookbird 60 years Drawing on my experience as chief editor of Bookbird 2014-2018, the article provides a brief history of the journal’s 60 years in circulation, from its 1958 inception at The International Youth Library and (Munich) at the behest of Jella Lepman. It is argued that already from the start Bookbird served the idea of “the republic childhood” and that international children’s books could and should serve the greater cause of peace-building between peoples and nations. The article highlights the unique character of Bookbird as a publication that caters to academics as well as librarians, publishers, authors and illustrators. Through the mother organization, the International Board of Books for Young People (IBBY), Bookbird has an advantageous position internationally, with branches and correspondents in more than a hundred countries. This geographical spread and varied readership is also reflected in the contents, which are made up of not only peer-reviewed articles, but of more reader-friendly interviews, reports on reading campaigns, letters. Finally, the journal’s emphasis on visuals and design is commented on. This too, is a feature that distinguishes it from other academic publications in the field of children’s literature.