A new Caribbean storybook was launched in Belize as part of the national consultation on family learning on October 28, 2009. The book was unveiled by Mrs. Kim Simplis-Barrow, Special Envoy for Children.
 
The book, “Diego Dish and Carlotta Spoon” is a product of the Caribbean Child Support Initiative (CCSI) programme. Under phase one of the programme, a pilot project, called the Storytelling for Early Childhood & Parenting Support (STEPS) was designed to meet the developmental needs of ‘at risk’ children and to increase the use of storytelling among parents, caregivers and children through an integrated participatory learning programme. STEPS-Belize was coordinated by the National Committee on Families and Children (NCFC) and this was one of the stories that emerged from a STEPS workshop with parents in San Lazaro, Belize.
 
“This story of ‘Diego Dish and Carlotta Spoon’ highlights the rich cultural mix of our country and many other Caribbean societies,” commented former Director of NCFC, Judith Alpuche. “It addresses the concern of the decline in the tradition of storytelling to teach, entertain and tie generations together, and that has been a source of much discussion among the early childhood and child rights sector.” The CCSI reinforces the importance of using storytelling and story reading to advance the cognitive development of young children while at the same time, enhancing family and intergenerational learning. The programme encourages parents to adopt a more interactive style of care.
 
The original story book is written in English and French Creole and also has an audio version on CD as well as an activity section for young children. CCSI, in partnership with the Ministry of Human Development and Social Transformation, Belize, have recently translated the audio story into four of the indigenous languages of Belize including Spanish, Garifuna and two Mayan dialects: Ketchi and Mopan.
 
Commenting on the book, Advocacy and Communications Officer of the CCSI, Colleen Wint-Smith said, “The storybook will be distributed to children and families in the Roving Caregiver’s Programme (RCP) which is an informal early childhood education programme that seeks to reach children from birth to three years of age who do not have access to any formal early childhood education. We wanted to produce a text that reflects Caribbean culture and that children would find visually appealing”. The audio versions will also stimulate the imagination and assist parents who either do not read or do not read in their mother language. The RCP was launched in Belize in March 2008 by the Department of Human Development within the Ministry and is being implemented in the Mayan villages of San Miguel and San Jose in the Toledo District.
 
The storybook ‘Diego Dish and Carlotta Spoon’ is illustrated by Annallee Davis and was translated in French Creole by Kennedy ‘Boots’ Samuels of St. Lucia, in Garifuna by E. Roy Cayetano, in Ketchi and Mopan by the Julian Cho Society and in Spanish by Carmen Mendez. The book was edited by Alwyn Bully of Dominica.

(Press Release)