No moral to the story as ‘looters’ target children’s publishing fair (Bologna)

It is a literary genre renowned for its simple morals and admirable heroes and heroines. However, adult enthusiasts of children's literature have forgotten their manners, it would seem. British publishers have expressed outrage at what they describe as the widespread "looting" from their stands by people attending the world's leading children's book exhibition. Michael O'Mara Books, an independent publisher, found nearly three-quarters of its titles had vanished. Its staff took the titles to Italy for the Bologna Children's Book Fair to sell the rights to publishers worldwide – only to find themselves left without the tools of their trade