Next week French speaking students across Prince Edward Island will have an opportunity to meet the accomplished illustrator and author Yayo, says Minister of Tourism and Culture Robert Henderson.

“Every year the Public Library Service partners with other government departments and community organizations to bring authors and illustrators to the province to connect with school aged children and talk about their craft,” said Minister Henderson. “It’s a fun way to help cultivate a life-long love of books and reading, which is one of the main goals of the Public Library Service. It’s also a great way for students to hear works in the voice of the author.”

Yayo, will be visiting Island French schools and libraries from Tuesday, November 4, to Thursday, November 6. The Colombian native, now residing in Montréal, has illustrated several books for children and young readers.

Yayo was born Diego Herrera in Colombia in 1961. He moved to Québec in 1987. He is a cartoonist and illustrator of children’s books. His work also appears in Canadian and American newspapers and magazines. Yayo has won numerous prizes for his cartoons and illustrations in Canada, Colombia, Europe and Japan. He was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award in 1998 for Le chasseur d'arc-en-ciel and a recipient of the Mr. Christie Book Prize in 1996 for Au lit, princesse Émilie. Yayo has also written and drawn collections of cartoons: Le carton de Yayo, Zoo-illogique, and Rêveries.

All stops on the author tour are free and open to the public. It is an initiative of the Public Library Service, the French School Board and Communication-Jeunesse.

Mr. Herrera’s schedule is as follows:

• Tuesday, November 4 at 9 a.m., École Saint-Augustin, Rustico

• Tuesday, November 4 at 1:30 p.m., Bibliothèque J.-Henri-Blanchard, Summerside

• Wednesday, November 5 at 10 a.m., Bibliothèque d’Abram-Village

• Wednesday, November 5 at 1 p.m., École Pierre-Chiasson, Deblois

• Thursday, November 6 at 9:30 a.m., École la Belle-Cloche, Fortune

• Thursday, November 6 at 1:30 p.m., Bibliothèque Dr.-J.-Edmond Arsenault, Charlottetown