The following article was written by Children’s Author, Baptiste Paul.
Green Bay author, Baptiste Paul, was born on the Eastern Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia. He has written several picture books, including his latest, “Patchwork Prince”—about growing up in the Caribbean. On Saturday, August 3, from 10:30-11:30 AM, Baptiste will be presenting “A Patchwork of Stories: Sharing Caribbean Culture,” an author event at Manitowoc Public Library. He’ll read his book and share stories of his vibrant culture. All ages are welcome for this high-energy celebration of culture, heritage, and literacy!
Dear Reader,
Over the years, I have been asked, where do I get my ideas or inspiration from?
In life, everything has an origin. And as a child, I enjoyed reading. I walked 12 miles roundtrip to the only library on the southern side of the Island for books to read. At a very young age, I was also an active listener of oral storytelling.
The elders from my village told us elaborate stories about witches, magic, mythical creatures, and distant lands. Their words captivated me. Their ability to keep everyone’s attention for a long time stuck with me.
My short answer to the above question is that ideas and inspiration come from everywhere. I usually follow up with, “Just go and live a purposeful life.” This is something I put into practice, because you just never know . . .
As a picture book author, you hope that the books you write are well-received by children and, hopefully, adults. Will my books deliver the message I want to share with the world? Sometimes, we never know, but there are times when students connect or make a personal connection with your books, its main character, or the experience.
For me, the biggest reward ever is knowing firsthand that my books are helping to create a positive change in the world. One such moment happened a few years ago after I presented my book, The Field, to a rural school in St. Lucia (the place where I was born).
One student said to me, “This is the first time I have seen the Creole words that I speak everyday written in a book. I felt like you wrote this story for me because I see myself in there. The characters playing futboll (soccer) in the rain and the mud is something that I do when it rains and it brings me so much joy. Someday, I want to be an author just like you.”
His words touched me deeply. That moment brought me back to my childhood days and I felt proud that my words had such an impact on a child. So, you might never know which ideas or inspiration can have the biggest impact.
Keep reading! Keep writing!
Your Truly,
Baptiste Paul