Self-esteem is a key factor in every child’s success or failure in life.
With this in mind, it is a crucial job for everyone to help build self-esteem in every child. This is what children’s book author, Charisse Janine Broome, is hoping to achieve with her collection of children’s books. In a recent interview with Life in Trinidad & Tobago, she talked about her journey to becoming an author and her goals in helping children gain a stronger sense of identity in Christ after reading her books – the first two in particular (Thank You, Abba and AWESOME FATHER).
Her first book ‘Thank You, Abba’, due out in time for Father’s Day 2023, was inspired by a personal tribute to God as “Abba, Father” and told from the perspective of a child. According to her, it was an admiration of the Person of God and of her relationship with God and His unfailing love, grace and forgiveness. Her second book – AWESOME FATHER from AWEsome Me! – was published on November 8th, 2021.
With AWESOME FATHER, Ms. Broome said she wanted to share the wonderful impact of knowing God and being known and completely loved by Him while helping others, especially children, experience joy and peace. In her own words, it’s a “sassy tribute that boasts of who God is, who I am in Him and the AWEsome place I call home – sweet Trinidad and Tobago. AWESOME FATHER from AWEsome Me! expresses the beauty and wonder of Yahweh from a child’s perspective”.
One major way that AWESOME FATHER from AWEsome Me! is different from her first book is that it also focuses on teaching children to take pride in Trinidad and Tobago’s food, language, culture and fruits. How? By exposing our Creole language, fruits and fauna of Trinidad & Tobago and memorable pieces of culture that makes Trinis or Trinbagonians unique in her writing. Talking about her third book, Pastelle Queen Patsie (PQP) is a Trini pastelle-inspired colouring book and poem combo for kids and kids at heart (7 years +).
The story is one of triumph and overcoming challenges.
Pastelle Queen Patsie is a perfect account of what many of us experienced during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a poem about a woman from Maloney who was affected by impending joblessness at the onset of the pandemic. The hallmark of the story was her overcoming the challenges to become a ‘pastelle-preneur’ by selling ‘unique’ pastelles on public holidays.
Queen Patsie’s story is not very different from the author’s: Ms. Broome’s journey as a writer started after she lost her job at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic even though she had been ‘scribbling’ for fun for a while. A brotherly ‘push’ from a brother in the Lord led her into taking action and she began to seek help, asking questions, and soon enough she was able to publish her first children’s book.
She is currently working on another children’s book about a mango peong from Marabella named Marlon. All her published books are available on Amazon. And for those residing in Trinidad and Tobago, you can also get any of her books on clcttbookstores.com, myreflectiontt.com, and plantingseedscaribbean.com
