Ti liv lakay pou timoun lakay
Books from home, for the children of home.
Liv Lakay publishes the stories Haitian children grew up with, and new ones in the same spirit, in Kreyòl and English on the same page. For families here, there, and in between.
Tell me when the first books are out
The first list
Four projects, all in production. Each one is a book a Haitian grandmother would recognize and a child born in Boston or Montreal can read on their own.
Lakou Lila
Six-year-old Lila, her little brother Ti Jak and their grandmother, in the family yard. Every book is one small adventure, told in Kreyòl and English side by side, and every book ends with a real Haitian proverb the story has quietly taught.
Cric? Crac!
The fables Haitian children have answered "Crac!" to for a hundred years, in a new edition with modern Kreyòl and English text and new illustrations.
Pwovèb Treasury
Hundreds of Haitian proverbs, drawn from collections first written down in the 1800s, with what each one means and when a Haitian would say it.
Tim Tim? Bwa Sèch!
The riddle game of every Haitian childhood, collected in one book. Ask the riddle, answer "Bwa sèch", and see if you can guess.
Piti piti, zwazo fè nich li.Little by little, the bird builds its nest. One of the proverbs the Lakou Lila books are built around, and the way we are building this house.
For the parents and teachers
Both languages, one pageKreyòl and English sit next to each other, so a child can read in one and a grandparent in the other, together.
Written for reading aloudShort lines, real rhythm, and the proverb at the end that parents already know by heart.
For schools and programsClass sets and Saturday school pricing are available. Write to us and tell us about your classroom.