Lisa Henry Discusses Her Journey Creating Caribbean Baby Board Books

Interview Overview

In the latest segment of “Human Impact” on Freedom 106.5 FM, host Tuska welcomed author Lisa Henry to the studio for an in-depth conversation about her work as a children’s writer and her partnership with Caribbean Baby.

Guest Background

Lisa Henry introduced herself and explained that her writing career began in 2021 with the publication of Today I Am a Captain through Caribbean Baby. She followed that debut with two additional titles released in 2022 and 2023, all aimed at sparking imagination in young readers. Henry emphasized the privilege she feels in contributing to a child’s early learning experience.

Inspiration and Motivation

Henry shared that the idea for her books emerged when her own toddler daughter was exploring books during the COVID-19 lockdown. Noticing a scarcity of Caribbean-themed board books for very young children, she turned to Caribbean Baby to fill the gap. She described how she and her children created adventures at home, which later became the basis for her stories.

The Caribbean Baby Series

The author highlighted that Caribbean Baby produces board books covering basic concepts such as letters (e.g., “A is for Agouti,” “B is for Booker”) and numbers, designed to withstand the rough handling typical of babies. She explained the production process, noting the need for hard-cover board formats and mentorship from the publisher to navigate printing challenges.

Book Content Example

One of Henry’s recent stories follows a young captain and her brother on an imagined voyage to Dominica. The narrative introduces readers to Caribbean geography, such as the island’s bubbling boiling lake and its national bird, the red parrot. Henry stressed that the adventure encourages parents to research and discuss cultural facts with their children, turning reading time into an educational experience.

Future Outlook

Henry expressed enthusiasm for continuing to develop Caribbean-focused children’s literature, hoping to expand the range of culturally relevant board books available to families across the region.

The interview concluded with the host thanking Lisa Henry for sharing her creative journey and reinforcing the importance of imagination and cultural representation in early childhood reading.