Do you have some little ones in your life who you’d like to give them a sense of what Haitian culture is all about? Or perhaps not necessarily a taste of Haitian culture, but just a few books with Haitian characters and Haitian themes?
Check out these books! They’ll probably do a lot in helping you in your quest.
5. Popo and Fifina by Arna Bontemps and Langston Hughes
Age Group: 6 and up
This book was written in 1931, but several modern day editions have been done since then. It tells the story of two children of Haiti, and has plenty of moral lessons. Popo is an eight year old and Fifina is a ten year old who live with their dad Papa Jean near Cap Haitien, and how they live in dignity, in spite of the fact that Papa Jean’s only income is from fishing and farming.
There’s some really eye-captivating print board illustrations from E. Simms Campbell. One of the most remarkable things about this book is that it was published at the height of the latter days of the Harlem Renaissance by two giants of that movement. Literary historian R. Baird Shuman recounted that Bontemps went on to write another book about Haiti entitled Drums at Dusk, a historical novel. Hughes wrote a play about Haiti four years later entitled Emperor of Haiti.
According to his biographers, Hughes had visited Haiti, and the book’s text is sprinkled with a few Creole phrases here and there. In his book African Americans and Haitians: A Legacy of Tragedy and Hope, Dr. Leon Denius Pamphile sums up the book’s importance this way: “Popo and Fifina contrasts the beauty of the Haitian landscape, its lush flowering trees, and delicious fruit with the plight of Popo and the barefooted peasant farmers who lived in huts.”
Upon publication, the book was immediately praised by critics, and according to Langston Hughes: Folk Dramatist in the Protest Tradition, 1921-1943 by Joseph McLaren it was dramatized by Brunetta Muzzon and adopted in Chicago’s public schools.
4. Anacaona: Golden Flower, 1430 Edwidge Danticat
Age Group: 10 and up
Poet. Warrior. Chief. So many titles, for one woman and her name was Anacaona. This book tells her story from her childhood on, and is part of a series that the publishing company Scholastic launched of princesses of times past. This book will teach your child about the indigenous peoples of Haiti, what their lives were like before and after Christopher Columbus landed in Haiti.
Anacaona is assertive; she’s a compassionate ruler, but she’s no fool. She ruled along with her brother Bohechio, and upon his death, was the sole ruler of Xaragua.
In the book Anacaona is depicted as a pursuer of peace and fair ruler, and reading about her can boost your daughter’s confidence in herself, but it can educate all kids about a woman who lived for her people.
3. Children of Yayoute: Folk Tales of Haiti, Francois Turennes de Pres
Age Group: 7 and up
This book was originally published in the late 1940s by Haitian painter Turennes de Pres, and republished nearly 50 years later. Publisher’s Weekly called Children of Yayoute a “visual treasure” in a glowing review of the book.
There are twelve stories and each of them are traditional tales, unique to Haiti. There is the story of Noemi, a young villager and the talking fish who brings her to live underwater with him.
Actually, this book is a treat—period—just for the gorgeous, eye-captivating illustrations. There is also an extensive glossary in the rear of the book so that you can discuss words unknown to you and your child.
2. Samona and Seth by Joanne Hyppolite
Age Group: 7 and up
I remember the first time I came across this book in the library. I was just overwhelmed to find a book like this….with Haitian characters who were real and a story line that I could identify with. Samona and Seth are kinda friends. He’s the proper-dressing, parental rules-following type of youngin—the type your Haitian parents would tell you would make a good husband in the near future. [In my uncle’s voice] (“Se pa junkie non, hmmm”).
Seth even has one of those types of biblical names that Haitian parents don to their kids, hoping that they’ll be just as pious as the biblical person they’re named after (ahem, you know, Josué, Emmanuel, Maranatha, Nazareth, Bethsaida).
Samona and Seth have that sort of relationship that one hopes will grow into something more in years to come. Where Samona is, Seth is just a few feet away. And in most cases—right behind her.
Samona decides that she’s going to be entering the Little Miss Dorchester pageant. Seth is well-meaning; he is convinced that she won’t get the crown. But Samona is determined to show the entire world what she’s made of.
Seth and Samona won the Marguerite de Angeli prize, an award for excellence in children’s book writing. The book is a great tool to show kids, especially young girls, about self-esteem and determination. The illustration by Colin Brotman are so realistic.
1. The Bonplezi Family, Maude Hertelou
Age Group: 7 and Up
This book is a fictionalized account of the reality of the lives of Haitian immigrants. Through the Bonplezi family, one learns about the dynamics of the family relationships.
The Bonplezis have relatives in the United States, Haiti, and Canada, and yet do their utmost, so that in spite of the distance, they remain close knit.
This book can be used by parents to emphasize family connections, in addition to encourage the love of reading.
It’s over 242 pages and might be looked at as a reading book for advanced readers.
Images: Children of Yayoute book cover via Bliss Design
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