Antigua: ‘Children of the Soil’- a kid’s colouring book

A colouring book is a child's canvas, to paint the world in all the rich hues they wish. 

So, for children of the Caribbean sun, wouldn’t it be ideal for their 'canvas' to depict elements of their culture and experience? 

Well, ‘Children of the Soil’ is a colouring book that not only makes colouring more interesting, but it also gives children an opportunity to learn more about the Caribbean and more specifically Antigua and Barbuda, from a young age. 

Created by former teacher Karian Christian, the book was first published and launched on Amazon in January 2022.  

‘Children of the Soil’ is 100 pages of colouring fun and activities for boys and girls ages 2 to 8.  

Within the book, you will find a variety of local and Caribbean fruits like sorrel and mangoes, scenes from locally treasured historic sites like Nelsons Dockyard and Shirley Heights, images of favourite Caribbean past-times like Carnival and cricket, national animals like the hawksbill sea turtle and the fallow deer, along with classic activities like tic-tac-toe and colour-by-number.  

But what really makes this colouring book unique is that the “100 pages will keep children entertained while teaching them about our beloved Antigua and Barbuda and Caribbean culture. It fuses together the classic activities children enjoy, while introducing and reinforcing our culture in a fun and relatable way,” Christian told Loop News. 

It also " gives children in and around Caribbean, something to be proud of; a way to partake in and display their culture. They're accustomed to colouring and activity books modelled after television shows and characters from America and Europe. Now they will have the option of colouring things they can identify in their everyday life,” the 37-year-old added. 

The book has already sold hundreds of copies and has been getting rave reviews. 

One woman referred to it as “perfect for any age” adding that “the quality is far beyond what you would expect for this type of book. Every Caribbean child or any child who has visited the Caribbean should have this book.” 

Another woman said: “I love this book so much. It is a little bit of my home and I get to share it with my kids until we get the chance to get back to islands.” 

“Antigua is a lovely place and this book teaches about Caribbean islands, their culture and is a hands-on experience,” another individual remarked. 

A woman who also gave ‘Children of the Soil’ five stars said that her two-year-old son “enjoys identifying the things he knows.” 

Volume 2 of Children of the Soil will be available in the near future. 

But Christian has not limited herself to just colouring books, she revealed that she intends to put words to paper and launch a storybook this summer.