Mother Tongue Books
Celebrating creativity, confidence, and literacy in the language children call home.
Stories for Children, By Children That Spark Imagination
Imagine a classroom where every child becomes an author — where stories are written in Haitian Creole, illustrated with bright imagination, and then carried across oceans into the hands of children they’ve never met. That’s the power of Mother Tongue Books.
These student-made books don’t just teach reading.
They ignite joy.
They affirm identity.
They prove that every child’s voice deserves to be heard.
When children see themselves in a story, they become readers. When they create the story, they become leaders.
And that transformation doesn’t stop at the classroom door — it moves through families, across villages, and into the future of Haiti.
Why Mother Tongue Literacy Matters
For many Haitian children, school begins in a language they do not speak — French — and too often, learning becomes memorization instead of meaning. At MCLC, literacy starts in Haitian Creole, the language every child knows and loves. When children read and write in their mother tongue, comprehension deepens, confidence grows, and learning becomes joyful.
This is more than a shift in method. It’s a shift in power.
Mother Tongue Books helps children:
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See their reality honored and reflected
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Strengthen reading and writing skills that last a lifetime
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Grow as creators, not just learners
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Share their voices with confidence
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Experience the pride of authorship
And as these books travel beyond Lagonav, they carry something priceless: the message that Haitian children’s stories matter.
What Children Create
Through the Mother Tongue Books program, students on Lagonav:
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Write and illustrate their own stories rooted in their lives, culture, and imagination
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Publish trilingual editions in Creole, French, and English, making the books accessible to children across the world
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Participate in international exchanges with U.S. classrooms and partner schools
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Build a digital library of Haitian Creole stories for communities with few Creole-language resources
Each book becomes a bridge — connecting children across languages, cultures, and coastlines.
How to Get Involved
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Donate to support printing, translation, and classroom libraries
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Partner with us to bring Mother Tongue Books into your school, library, or learning community
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Collaborate on sister-book projects between U.S. classrooms and MCLC students
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Sponsor a set of books for young readers in remote Haitian communities
Your support helps more children discover the joy of reading — and the power of their own stories.