The inauguration of the Festival of Children’s Books 2022 will take place on Friday the 4th of November at Cas di Cultura, from 5 to 7pm, with the show starting at 6pm.
The theme for this year is ‘Biba Natura-Lesa’[red: Naturalesa, the Papiamento word for Nature, contains ‘lesa’ which means to read]. Twelve authors and illustrators will present during the week of 7 to 11 of November in different schools and also at the National Library in Oranjestad and San Nicolas. More than 60 schools are participating in the festival.
Mr. Gino Vrolijk, teacher and author of children’s books is giving his all for this festival.
The books that Gino has written are ‘Sumpi e wanglo sabi!’, ‘Na caminda pa e fiesta grandi’ and ‘Amigonan tur caminda!’ (co-author). Children can read or borrow these at the National Library.
In the context of the theme for this year, Gino connects with nature, saying:
“Nature is the origin of everything. It is the fountain of life and inspiration. We can see, hear, smell, taste and feel everything that nature offers us. All this makes us curious to learn, to find out more about and take care of nature. And one way or another, we all enjoy nature, be it by walking in the mondi – Aruban wilderness – swimming in the ocean, see the stars in the sky at night, live or work in the cunucu – Aruban farm – or use nature in any other positive way, the point is that we all form part of nature. Biba Natura-lesa!”
Georgino ‘Gino’ Vrolijk was born on the 4th of October 1973. He grew up in and around the neighborhood of Essoville San Nicolas. The schools that Gino attended are Graf von Zinzendorf Kleuterschool, Prinses Irene School, John Wesley College and Colegio Arubano San Nicolaas y Oranjestad.
Gino began his professional career in 1999 as a teacher of first grade (specialization 4-8) at Colegio Hilario Angela Basisschool. In 2004 he worked as curriculum developer at the Department of Education of Aruba. From 2008 to 2019 he was director of Fontein Kleuterschool and from 2019 until now he is practice teacher at the Pedagogic Institute of Aruba (IPA).
