The crowd was very thin during the first few hours after the gates were opened. The atmosphere inside the fair lightened up as the little happy faces started to show up along with their guardians at around 11 in the morning.

Akash, a class two student from AK School at Jatrabari, was looking for books about Dinosaurs. He came all the way from Jurain with his mother. "I heard it in the news on TV yesterday that today's book fair would be dedicated to children and then I asked my mother to bring me here."

A class one student, Zarin, from Vikarunnesa Noon School, Bashundhara was accompanied by her uncle. She bought books of rhymes and was very happy with her latest acquisition as she had found what she was looking for.

"I had no idea that today is especially dedicated to children. My son made me to come here. I am glad that he did. There should be more days like this", said Faisal Ahmed from Shantinagar who brought his 10-year-old son to the fair.

Publishers however said the crowd was not any exceptional compared to other regular days. Bishwa Shahitya Kendra and Sheba Prokashani attracted the largest crowd.

"There was not enough publicity about the arrangement. Bangla Academy should have taken special effort to announce the day", said a salesperson at Bishwa Shahitya Kendra bookstall.

A salesperson from Imon Prokashani said children's books sold very well all through the month.

Most of them however are reprints of old classics.

Less than one percent of the books published this year were children's books and the new arrivals did not sell that well.

Thukurmar Jhuli, Fables of Aesop, Gopal Bhaar Shamogro, Minar Golpo Shamogro and Chhotoder Gyankosh were some of the best sellers through the whole month.

The stage for cultural programmes on the Bangla Academy premises was also taken over by the children that day. The academy organised a cultural show for children followed by an award giving ceremony.