Discover these bilingual Haitian Creole-English storybooks featuring Haitian girls of color.
Bedtimes stories provide magical moments for children, where they can explore their imagination. But for many Caribbean kids, they may never see their own faces and communities reflected on the page. Now two new Haitian Creole-English storybooks are changing the game. In honor of International Day of the Girl on Oct. 11, NABU Publishing has published two new exciting titles by Haitian authors: “Princess Maniya” by Saonha Baptiste and “Lila Plays Soccer” by Christina Doret. Both colorful books are illustrated by Haitian artist Audeva Joseph.
Both bilingual books seek to celebrate Haitian culture while empowering young girls in their own stories.
“Our books, Prensès Maniya, and Lila Ap Jwe Boul are about powerful young girls who are in control of their own destinies,” said Taniya Benedict, Co-Creator of NABU.
“We want every girl, especially girls of color who remain underrepresented in all segments of society, to feel as fearless as Princess Maniya and as courageous as Lila. We want them to challenge the norm, and persevere—to be confident enough to turn every NO into a YES.”
Bringing Bilingual Kreyol Storybooks To Bedtime
Sharing these stories marks just part of NABU Publishing’s mission. The group is a global literacy nonprofit seeking to power children by publishing children’s books for free on digital platforms in their mother-tongue languages. So far, their publications have reached over 30,000 readers in their programs in Rwanda and Haiti.
These projects also seek to diversify the current landscape for children’s literature, bringing more Haitian stories to U.S. readership. They also celebrate the unique artistry of Haitian storytellers and artists. “Artistic expression and creativity is core to our identity as Haitians,” says Francoise Thybulle, Director of NABU Haiti.
“I want the next generation of children in Haiti to feel proud of our culture and heritage, and through our work at NABU we are providing children with access to these precious Haitian stories.”
