"Chinese editors are very good at talent scouting not only in the East but also in the Western world," she said.

"When Brazilian illustrator Roger Mello won the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award -- one of the oldest and most prestigious international awards in children's literature -- a Chinese publishing house had already released his book," Pasoli noted.

She stressed how "innovative" China's editorial production is, with "smart ideas that are often avant-garde compared to Western counterparts."

"We have seen extraordinary Chinese books at our international bookstore, often rich with Chinese cultural elements but also in accordance with the imaginative contents of children's books from all over the world," Pasoli added.

The fair featured a forum about children's books in China and an exhibition of outstanding works from Chinese illustrators.

By the end of the fair, Chinese representatives will donate over 2,000 books to the International Library for Juveniles and Children and the Chinese school in Bologna.

Ranking among the most important international fairs for children's books, the Bologna Children's Book attracts publishers, copyrights agents, authors, illustrators for children's books, booksellers, distributors, librarians and printers from over 70 countries and regions all around the world.