While growing up I heard many stories from my grandparents, and my most favorite were the traditional folktales of our people. These stories were passed down from our Senegambian ancestors, and I really loved the colorful tales of a trickster called Compair Lapin. Most people know of him as the infamous Br’er (Brother) Rabbit, who is always using wile and wit to escape the traps of Br’er Fox. But in South Louisiana, where my family is from, he has a sidekick named Bouki (the Wolof word for “hyena”), and together they make mischief on a host of great adventures.

My favorite Lapin story has always been, “The Elephant and the Whale”, which teaches the importance of having wisdom or a strong mind. To share the tale with my son I made paintings of it that decorate his room, and it is such a joy to watch him as he marvels at the characters.

Each painting is in an African style to acknowledge the story’s origins, and to remember those who preserved it through the harsh realities of slavery. Though my foreparents found themselves stripped of their homeland and loved ones, they have gifted a great legacy that I wish to share with more than just my son.

I wish to share my favorite folktale and the paintings that I have made with other children, and especially Black children who are in need of stories by people like themselves. Therefore, I am happy to announce that I am publishing a children’s book this summer, and many thanks to Florian Walz and Eva Misinski for helping to make this possible.

More details are soon to come and will be posted on my website, but until then click on the cover below for a sneak peek of The Elephant and the Whale: A Black-Creole Folktale.