Vincentian Author’s Book Aims to Show Children That Love Comes in Different Forms

By S.Browne. Updated 11:07 a.m., Saturday, January 31, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

Brooklyn-based Vincentian educator and author Caren Charles-De Freitas has released her first children’s book, Little Girl in a Pretty Dress, a story inspired by her own childhood experiences in Cedars, St. Vincent. The book aims to encourage children to embrace individuality, understand that love comes in different forms, and recognize that family, life, and happiness do not always look the same for everyone.

Reflecting on her childhood, she explained that as the tenth of eleven children and fourth of four girls, she often wore “hand-me-downs.” She recalls the excitement of receiving a new dress for special occasions, twirling and imagining herself in a world of her own creation. These experiences became the foundation for her book’s main character, Fancy, a young girl exploring love, family, and self-expression.

In the story, Fancy experiences the challenges of her father becoming wheelchair-bound, which changes the usual family dynamics where the father traditionally works to support the household and the mother keeps the home running. The book aims to help children understand and process unexpected changes, showing that love and care within a family can remain constant even when circumstances shift. It also highlights resilience, emotional literacy, and acceptance.

Charles-De Freitas noted that children’s literature often lacks Caribbean and Black voices. By incorporating cultural motifs familiar to Vincentian children, such as “hand-me-downs,” a mother gardening and sewing, and everyday family life, she aims to provide young readers with characters and experiences they can identify with.

With 46 years of experience in teaching, beginning at age 15 in St. Vincent, Charles-De Freitas has devoted her life to nurturing young minds. She currently serves as director at Friends of Crown Heights Educational Center in Brooklyn. Alongside her children’s book, she has published a poetry anthology, Shadows in the Shade (2016), and a 90-day devotional, Living Waters (2021), co-written with her pastor, Reverend Derwin Grant.

Charles-De Freitas hopes to inspire children not only to read, but also to write. She encourages children to explore the power of words and creativity in shaping their own stories.

She plans to release the book in St. Vincent and the Grenadines next month and is exploring a collaboration with the Ministry of Education to host a book launch at one of the schools. The book will also be available in local bookstores, with arrangements still being finalized.

END