We want our books to reach as many children and families as possible.
That’s why we’ve put together this handy how-to guide for open content partners who want to use, re-share, adapt, translate and print Book Dash books. Below you can learn more about:
If you print your own books, re-share our original or adapted content, or run your own event, we want to know about it! Please tell us about it using the button below.
How you can use Book Dash books
We publish all of our books under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license – our creative volunteers’ gift to the world. Under this license, there is no restriction on what people can do with the books, as long as they acknowledge Book Dash and the original creators. This means that anyone in the world can:
- Re-publish our books on their own platforms – including websites, apps, YouTube channels, etc.
- Create new versions of our books – such as audio versions, animations or songs
- Translate or adapt them into any language
- Print and sell thousands of copies.
Ebooks, print-ready files and editable design files for every book in our library are available on our website.
Book Dash crediting requirements and identity guidelines
Crediting requirements
If you are using Book Dash content, the only requirements we have are that you must:
- Acknowledge the four creatives who made the book (author, illustrator, designer and editor)
- Include a link to the Book Dash website (www.bookdash.org)
- Include a visible Book Dash logo
- If the original format was changed, state the nature of the adaptation (e.g. translated, new illustrations, audiobook).
Brand identity guidelines
You should also follow our brand identity guidelines when referring to Book Dash. Why? Communicating about our work in a consistent manner helps raise awareness, ensures a sense of familiarity and reliability, and showcases collaboration.
| Name | Book Dash (two words, both starting with capital letters) |
| Logo | Please use one of these logos: Book Dash logo (300px) Book Dash logo (1000px) Book Dash square Book Dash square (transparent background) Book Dash logo (black and white) Logo animation |
| Website | www.bookdash.org |
| Phrasing options | Please use language such as: Original books can be read for free at www.bookdash.org In partnership with Book Dash (www.bookdash.org) Published by Book Dash (www.bookdash.org) This is a www.bookdash.org story |
| Social media | If you would like to tag us on your social media posts, you can use the handle “@bookdash” and the links below: www.instagram.com/bookdash/ x.com/bookdash www.facebook.com/bookdash www.youtube.com/@bookdashorg |
How to choose which books to use
To help you find the most relevant Book Dash books, you can:
- Visit the themes page to view all our themes, and click on them to see the books they include and the topics they cover.
- Filter by language and/or theme on the books page.
- You can also filter for wordless books – and you can learn more about the benefits of wordless books here.
Accessing and using source files
We share the source files for all of our Book Dash books, so anyone can download, use and adapt them. This includes PDF ebooks, print-ready PDFs, illustration image files, design files, text, translations and fonts.
To browse our titles, visit our books page, and use the “Download” button to access and save a book’s source files.
Alternatively, visit our book source files page to find open-licensed source files for all 200+ titles in our library. On this page you can download multiple titles at once (or even the whole library).
If you are planning on using any of the Book Dash books, remember to read our crediting and identity guidelines and to complete our onboarding form!
How to print your own books
You can print your own copies of the Book Dash books by downloading the print-ready source files and sending them to a local print or copy shop. Some organisations print the books exactly like they are, and others translate them into a local language before printing and distributing them.
You are welcome to use our printing specification document when asking your local print shop for a quotation. They should be able to do a beautiful job of the books, just as if you bought them in a store.
We always recommend requesting a sample copy before commissioning a big volume of books.
If you are interested in printing your own copies of the Book Dash books – in an original, translated or adapted form – please get in touch or complete our onboarding form. We’d love to know how the printed books are adding value to your work.
How to run your own book-making event
While we do not run our book-making events for other organisations, companies or schools, our book-making model is open and carefully documented from start to finish in our Book Dash Manual.
If you are interested in hosting your own book-making event, please get in touch or complete our onboarding form – we’d love to know where the Book Dash model is implemented, and to help if we can. Organisations in places including Angola, Nigeria, Laos, Namibia and Luxembourg have used the Book Dash model, and a few South African schools have too.