Two new children’s publications from HNP to launch at St. Martin Book Fair on Saturday

GREAT BAY/MARIGOT--St. Martin Unity Flag, Activity Guide (K to Grade 2) and St. Martin Unity Flag, Activity Guide (Grades 3–6), edited by Aishira Cicilia and Shanice Theodule, will be launched at St. Martin Book Fair on Saturday, June 6, at 8 pm during the Main Book Launch & Closing Ceremony at the University of St. Martin (USM).

The new publications provide age-appropriate, reader-friendly information about the island’s Unity Flag, along with coloring activities, word and counting games, and opportunities to identify some of St. Martin’s “national” and nature symbols from across both sides of the island, according to House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP).

A unique feature of this year’s Main Book Launch is that the St. Martin Unity Flag activity guides will be available as free digital downloads. Looking ahead, the guides can also be printed at home, in schools, libraries, teacher-training institutions, and community centers, providing lively, interactive learning experiences for children alongside parents, teachers, and education workshop leaders, said the publisher.

Audience members on Saturday will be able to scan a QR code and download the colorful publications directly to their phones or other devices to enjoy and share with family and friends, said co-editor Aishira Cicilia, a legal advisor by profession.

“I am confident these activity guides will help our future generations learn about our culture and serve as a foundation for loving and preserving it,” said Cicilia.

“Seeing this vision come to life through collaboration with Shishi [Aishira Cicilia], the editing and digital teams, and House of Nehesi Publishers has been deeply rewarding.

“Having the opportunity to launch the digital guides at the St. Martin Book Fair is a true honor,” said co-editor Shanice Theodule, a finance assistant by profession.

The slim-volume guides grew out of a PowerPoint presentation that Cicilia and Theodule prepared and conducted for an information program of the ONE SXM Association in 2025. Because of the project’s focus on the historical and cultural unity of the St. Martin people, the material was easily adapted and developed with modern elements for a wider audience, the editors explained.

The St. Martin Unity Flag, unveiled in 1990, was officially adopted by the governments in Marigot and Philipsburg in 2022. On November 11 of that year, the flag was described as a cultural symbol “affirming the unity and identity” of the people of the island. (Wikipedia)

Before the evening launch at the literary festival, editors Cicilia and Theodule will join guest storytellers, including Papa Mpho, and children’s book authors in the Children’s Room at the St. Martin Book Fair from 9 am to 12 noon on Saturday, June 6, at USM.

During the morning program, Cicilia and Theodule, both known for their cultural activism, will give young readers a sneak peek at the St. Martin Unity Flag guides through coloring activities, word and counting games, and the identification of some of the island’s national and nature symbols featured in both publications, said Book Fair Committee member Cindy Peters.

Admission to all St. Martin Book Fair activities is free. The 23rd edition of St. Martin Book Fair is organized by Conscious Lyrics Foundation in collaboration with the University of St. Martin, Computech, and SOS Radio.

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