=?x-unknown?q?26029=3A__jhudicourt_=28reply=29__Re=3A_26012?==?x-unknown?q?=3A=A0_=28Ask=29_Deb_Stockdale_RE=3A_children's?==?x-unknown?q?_books_=28fwd=29?=

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: JHUDICOURTB@aol.com

You can get children's books in Creole from Educavision.   They have a
website, the books are not all of the best quality, but there are some good
ones.

There are a couple of American outfits that have a few books in 
Creole:   try

Hampton-Brown publishers, and Spanpress.   The cater to schools. You can try
some of the school systems.   Miami-Dade county public schools have published a

few books.     The nicest books for children in Creole these days are made in
Haiti by Hachette/Deschamps.   They are written and illustrated by people in
Haiti; some are in Creole, most are in French.    Deschamps has book outlets
in almost every major town in Haiti if you don't want to go to PAP.   The
Petion-ville outlet is on the corner rue Clerveaux and rue Lambert.

If you just want to have books in one library that the children can
appreciate, you can type translation on white label stickers and stick the
Creole inside the book.   However, sometimes the kids are disconcerted by 
stories that are in Creole but are not really culturally appropriate. 
Dr. Suess for example doesn't work.   I find that some PD Eastman books 
for preschooler like "Are you my mother?" might work.   Others that are 
good are content based books like

"rookie read-about science" collection from Children's press.
How about buying blank books for the children and staff to create their own
stories?

There are books in English wiith Haitian themes that you might like to have.
Some titles:

Josephine's imagination
Popo and Fifina
The Banza
Ti Djo remembers.

There is a Haitian writer called Denize Lauture who has several nice picture
books. You can try Amazon.com for more children's books on Haiti.   The one
book I would not recommend is the picture book by the artist Marbeth which is
for sale at the Baptist Mission in Fermathe.   The illustrations show all the
Haitian children with plain black faces and no features.   The animals have
faces and even smiles.   Children will ask you why the kids in that book have
no eyes and no mouth. The tacit racism of the book is not good for Haitian
children.

There are many beautiful books directed at African American children that you
might want to look for.   Verna Ardema is a author who has several African
folktales, Molly Bang has a beautiful counting book for bedtime..,
Just make sure you cover you books with clear plastic and train someone to
manage the library. And teach the children to treasure the books.   That is
learned behavior and uncommon in Haiti....   Make storytime a special time and
you will find that your kids are always talking to the story and telling 
their own....
JHB