The Making of ABC Barbados: From Sketches to Storytime

When I first dreamed of writing a children’s book, I knew it couldn’t just be any book. It had to feel like home. Not just my home, but the home that so many of us in Barbados know and love — full of color and culture. That’s how ABC Barbados: Island Life for Little Learners was born.

From Family Adventures to Book Pages

As a family, we’ve always chosen experiences over screen time. I wanted my boys to grow up knowing the taste of salty sea air, the thrill of racing down a jetty, and the joy of flying kites in the Easter breeze.

We’ve marveled at green monkeys playing at the Barbados Wildlife Reserve. We’ve danced through the streets during Kiddies Kadooment, letting the rhythm pulse through our bodies. We’ve strolled hand in hand along the Speightstown jetty, pointing out boats and counting them one by one. And we’ve spent carefree afternoons with our kites, waiting patiently for that perfect gust of wind to send them soaring high into the sky.

These aren’t just memories — they’re lessons. They are living moments of culture, history, and pride. And I wanted to capture that magic on the page, not only for my boys, but for every child who flips through ABC Barbados.

From Sketches to Storytime

Once the idea was clear, it was time to bring it to life. I scribbled notes, drafted rhymes, and made lists of everything that felt quintessentially Bajan — from Flying Fish to Tuk Bands, from Sugar Cane to Chattel Houses. I wanted each letter of the alphabet to carry a little piece of our island’s soul.

But words were only half the journey. The magic really started when the illustrations came to life. Seeing rough sketches of Bussa, of the colorful chattel houses — it was like reliving those family adventures all over again, but now through the eyes of art.

Bit by bit, page by page, the book grew — until it was ready to leave our dining table and make its way into the hands of other families.

ABC Barbados isn’t just an alphabet book. It’s a collection of moments — of island pride, of family bonding, of culture passed from one generation to the next. My greatest joy has been sitting down with my boys and reading it together, watching them giggle at the illustrations, point out things they’ve seen in real life, and shout the letters with excitement.

That’s when I knew the book had done its job.

It’s not just a story. It’s our story. And now, I get to share it with you and your little learners, so that together, we can keep our culture alive in the most joyful way possible — one page at a time.