AS an extended celebration of World Book Day, throughout March young readers will be given the opportunity to meet authors and illustrators at a series of free events for schools in libraries across Devon.

The Children's Bookshow, in collaboration with Bounce Sales and Marketing and Devon County Council's library service will be bringing author and illustrator Jessica Souhami to Tavistock Library on March 12 from 1.30pm to 2.30pm.

Jessica grew up in East London and before she became a writer and illustrator, she was a puppeteer.

She made shadow puppets and travelled around the country bringing to life some of the stories people have been telling for hundreds of years.

Her puppets appeared on television, including Watch (BBC), Seeing and Doing (Thames TV) and Playschool (BBC).

In the early 1990s Jessica stopped touring. She still wanted to tell stories but she now wanted to do it through books. Her first was 'The Leopard's Drum', a story from West Africa.

Jessica's shadow puppets did not entirely go away — they had an influence on her artwork style. She creates pictures using a collage technique — each book has its own unique palette of colours that best captures the mood of the story.

Once she has decided on the colour palette, Jessica paints sheets of paper she then cuts up to form the figures and landscapes of her stories. The characters in the books leap, run or saunter across the pages, just as the shadow puppets would have moved across the screen.

Kate Mackenzie, development officer at Devon County Council's library service, said: 'Working with the Children's Bookshow means we can invite hundreds of schoolchildren into our library spaces, enabling them to celebrate World Book Day by meeting and talking to real authors. Children in the South West don't get these opportunities very often as our region can be a long way for many authors to travel, so we are very excited.

'This project will help us to remind the children of the wonderful world that reading, writing and libraries can open up for them.'

After the reading at the library, children will have the opportunity to meet the author.

A bookseller will be at the library so that children can buy a book and get it signed.