Gallica. The Bnf offers a thousand treasures and activities for children from 7 to 77 years old

Last updated on 2 October 2021

Gallica, the BNF’s digital library, ultimately has only one major flaw: its incredible wealth. Several million documents available for free download: books, manuscripts, maps and plans, prints, photographs, posters, … magazines

Among all these treasures available for free online, Gallica offered a few months ago many useful resources for the school closing period …All these resources are still online and will remain so. They are addressed to a very broad public.

Gallica offers 25 classics of children's literature

Gallica's teams have selected 25 essential novels of literature for young people. Twenty-five very great classics to admire as much as to read. All these editions are indeed illustrated by the greatest: Gustave Doré, John Tenniel, Arthur Rackham … Que du belle!

Comics to read online and an application to create yourself

The BNF is also an access through Gallica to many comics to consult online. Access by series, by author, by theme or by press title, a real treat for all amateurs. And if reading these masterpieces inspires vocations, invite young people to take a look at The comic book factory. A special site created by the Bnf on the occasion of the year of the comic in 2020. It is a completely free creative studio that makes it possible to produce comics or any other multimedia story combining illustrations and text. They'll love it.

Gallica offers thousands of coloring pages for the little ones but also for the big ones

This is an almost infinite collection of coloring boards which are at your disposal on Gallica. Thousands of albums, engravings and drawings, classified by themes: abécédaires, animals, circus, tales, imagiers, games, means of transport, landscapes, … plants

And if that is not enough, you can always take a look at the operation “Color our collections” It brings together more than 100 libraries and major museums around the world which, like the BNF, offer colouring works free of charge.

Cutting games to create beautiful stories yourself

Gallica, a good printer, scissors and glue and you are equipped to allow children to create the characters of their games themselves. Attention nostalgia for the oldest … Animals, houses, soldiers, dolls to dress, enough to occupy the youngest away from the screens.

Gallica is a great resource. A stunning antidote to feed the imagination.

Gallica de la Bnf has many treasures buried in its digital shelves that are open to the curiosity of all audiences. More than 6 million documents are available in impeccable quality. At the bend of a page of real pearls like these Travel Notebooks by Victor Hugo or this edition of Lewis Carroll’s masterpiece "Alice in Wonderland" illustrated by Arthur Rackham dating from 1908.

It's up to you to find your treasure. Good discoveries.

Note that the BNF also offers an educational site, BNF Classes, where you will find many resources and ideas for using Gallica.