Little readers will love this.

School children and families in Cork will have the chance to meet the creators of their favourite Irish books as part of Laureate na nÓg Patricia Forde’s ‘Whole Wild World’ Bus Tour this April.

The route and schedule of the upcoming, first-of-its-kind tour were announced today, with Irish children’s writers and illustrators set to visit schools, libraries, bookshops and cultural venues in nine counties along the west coast of Ireland.

Taking in a total of 1400 kilometres on a multi-coloured, 30-seater coach, the tour begins at Ireland’s most northerly point, Malin Head in County Donegal, on Monday, April 14th, and concludes at Kinsale Library in Cork on Sunday, April 28th. This will include four stops in Cork at Bantry, Schull, Sherkin Island, and Kinsale.

Patricia Forde will be joined in Cork by authors and illustrators for workshops, readings, and artist events for school groups, library groups, and families. The full line-up will be announced in March.

In Cork, the tour will have stops at:

· Bantry – Bantry Library, on Friday, 26th April.
· Schull – Schull Community College, on Friday, 26th April.
· Sherkin Island – Community event with neghbouring Oileán Chléire/Cape Clear, on Saturday, 27th April.
· Kinsale – Kinsale Library, on Sunday, 28th April.

“This tour is about igniting imaginations and ensuring that Cork will have another generation of great writers and illustrators by bringing books and their creators to an audience that doesn’t often get a chance to meet them in their own local area.” said Forde.

“We will have exciting Irish authors and illustrators on board, hoping to inspire and to be inspired, to share stories and have lots of fun!”