“I think I will continue writing books for kids even when I’m grown up. Children’s books teach kids about different experiences and lets us use our imaginations.”
Across the West Indies, Carnival is a celebration that symbolizes freedom, culture and resilience. Carnival’s roots stem from celebrating emancipation from slavery. Today the legacy of Carnival is kept alive by new generations across the globe.
Meet 6-year-old author Ad’Ria La Pierre. On April 22, 2021, also Ad’Ria’s birthday, the young writer self-published her first book, “Adria the Carnival Princess,” inspired by her own Carnival experiences.
A Toronto native, Ad’Ria has been participating in Carnival ever since she could remember. For Ad’Ria and her family, attending Toronto’s carnival, Caribana, is a yearly tradition.The older she has gotten, the more involved she has become in the cultural parade.
“I have been participating in Carnival since I was three months old. Every year has been like a family tradition, where I help my parents create the costumes for the children who participate with me on parade day. It’s a lot of fun and I get excited every time.”
Over time, her excitement has grown and her hands-on experience with these traditions inspired her book. In 2020, Ad’Ria participated in both Toronto and Trinidad carnivals. Each of these experiences would go on to shape “Adria: The Carnival Princess”.
The story chronicles the protagonist Adria’s first Carnival. From a nervous beginning to a vibrant ending, the traditions of the Caribbean are embraced. Readers are able to learn about cultural customs, even if they have not been able to participate themselves. Sharing her experiences is one way that Ad’Ria works to connect with her readers.
“I wrote this story with the help of my mom in 2020 after competing in both Toronto and Trinidad carnivals at the start of the pandemic. We wanted to tell this story and hopefully inspire others to tell their own stories. We found an illustrator and it was self published in 2021 for my birthday with the help of my parents.”
While Ad’Ria has read multiple books about the Caribbean and books by Caribbean authors, she never came across a book for children about Carnival. So, Ad’Ria decided to do something about it –publish an accumulation of her own experiences.
Ad’Ria believes in the power of storytelling. She hopes to inspire readers of all ages to share their experiences as well. Despite challenges in the publishing process, Ad’Ria was still eager to follow through on the publishing process.
“Writing the book was the easy part because it is based on my own experiences. The hardest part was getting an illustrator that understands Caribbean Carnivals, our culture and then the whole process of publishing the book was the most challenging. But seeing the end result was all worth it.”
The young author plans to continue to write children’s books that revolve around her culture. Her second book is already in the works. Her goal is to continue teaching kids about different experiences through writing children’s books.
“I believe that children can relate to each other through different experiences, and I want them to know that they are important and their voices matters.”
She hopes that readers from all walks of life can imagine themselves in her stories and feel the same way she does when she reads.
“Hopefully, [I can] inspire others to tell their own stories, ” Ad’Ria says.
