Enjoy some photos of the event:

The public is invited to celebrate the launch of SoualiColor, a color and write book about St. Martin culture! The free, festive launch event will be held at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House in French Quarter from 9am to noon. SoualiColor was created by the Soualiwomen Kultural Association (SKA) and the Les Fruits de Mer association. Guests attending the launch will receive a free copy of the book. The event will also feature a cultural scavenger hunt, a coloring station, and refreshments for all to enjoy.

“SKA was formed to celebrate Carnival in another way, more creative and cultural. Then we opened up more to promote and share our culture and traditions,” explained Erica and Laticha Stephen, President and Vice-president of SKA. “After SoualiKulture, our cultural activity book, we wanted to make a multilingual book for the younger ages. SoualiColor promotes our culture to the young students who are learning to read and write. Each page is fun: images to color, and related words to read and write. Young ones can connect with our culture and traditions while they are learning these skills.”

SoualiColor is full of lively coloring pages with heritage themes like St. Martin music, dance, cultural wear, Carnival, livestock, agriculture, and food traditions. Each coloring page has related words in English, French, Spanish and Dutch, and a second page where kids can practice writing the words. Seven members of SKA worked together with Les Fruits de Mer to develop and write the book.

“We are delighted to help SKA launch their second book about St. Martin culture!” said Les Fruits de Mer president Jenn Yerkes. “Every child here deserves to learn about the rich culture of their island, and feel proud of it. This book is a great way to showcase culture and traditions for younger kids! We look forward to giving SoualiColor to thousands of students over the coming years as part of our book program.”

The book launch will be held on Sunday, July 5th from 9am to noon at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House on the hill above Coconut Grove. Free copies of the book will be given to those who attend the event. The launch is also a great chance to visit the museum and learn more about SKA. The event will feature a special cultural scavenger hunt and a coloring station. Light refreshments will also be served.

Free printed copies of SoualiColor will be given to local schools and students as part of Les Fruits de Mer’s book program. The book is also available as a free download from http://lesfruitsdemer.com, and for purchase on amazon.com worldwide. Teachers and youth group leaders interested in copies are encouraged to contact Les Fruits de Mer at info@lesfruitsdemer.com. Companies, organizations or individuals interested in sponsoring copies for schools are also encouraged to contact the association.

This book was produced with the support of the Fonds pour le développement de la vie associative (FDVA).

The Les Fruits de Mer association will launch a new book this Saturday, Trees for Me and My Island. The bilingual book showcases native trees, which are trees originally from this island. It features 18 native trees that are ideal to plant in your backyard or neighborhood. The public is invited to the launch, where free copies of the book will be given away. Seedlings of native and heritage plants will also be available. The free event will be from 9am to noon on Saturday, June 27th at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House.

“This book is about trees that are great for people,” said author Mark Yokoyama. “It includes trees that provide delicious fruits and beautiful flowers. Every tree in the book has traditional uses in local culture. And they are all adapted to the conditions on St. Martin because they are native. So they grow well here!”

For each tree in the book, readers learn where and why to plant it, its cultural connections, and how it helps our local wildlife. The book is full of color photographs. It is bilingual in English and French.

“Many of our native trees really benefit people, and they have for centuries,” said Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes. “This book can help you find the right tree for any spot: one that doesn’t get too big, or can handle salty sea spray, or gives shade even during the dry season!”

During the event, the association will be giving away seedlings of some of the trees featured in the book and of other plants, while supplies last.

The book is available as a free download from lesfruitsdemer.com, and for purchase on amazon.com worldwide. Teachers and youth group leaders interested in copies are encouraged to contact Les Fruits de Mer at info@lesfruitsdemer.com. Companies, organizations or individuals interested in sponsoring copies for schools are also encouraged to contact the association.

Since 2020, the Les Fruits de Mer association has published over 60 books about St. Martin and has distributed over 60,000 books to students, schools and the public. The association’s book programs are supported by the Collectivité de Saint-Martin, France and other funding partners.

Teacher Day is Saturday, May 9th from 9am to noon at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House.

We have 1,000 books to give away to teachers in May. Complete the survey and we will make a book pack for you! You can pick it up at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House on our Teacher Day. If you can’t make it, we will deliver book packs to schools later in the month.

Survey link: https://forms.gle/V16v47oqWPGeLWvy7

Questions? Email info@lesfruitsdemer.com

A new book by Roland Richardson launches at Amuseum Naturalis in French Quarter this Saturday. The book is titled The Last Frontier: Sir Roland Richardson’s French Quarter. It features artwork of people and places in French Quarter, and Richardson’s memories of the time he lived there. It is bilingual in English and French. The public is invited to the free, launch event. It will be held at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House in French Quarter from 9am to noon this Saturday, March 28th. The book was produced by the Les Fruits de Mer association.

“We are so excited to share this with St. Martin,” said Amuseum co-founder Mark Yokoyama, who developed the book with Richardson. “It is a book about art, about French Quarter, and about St. Martin’s past.”

The Last Frontier features 26 paintings and etchings by Roland Richardson. Subjects include an etching of the house where Richardson lived in French Quarter, and The Old House, the historic building where Amuseum Naturalis is located. The text, taken from oral history interviews with Richardson, reveals a French Quarter where traditions still survived on a rapidly changing island. He also shares insights into his artistic process.

Roland Richardson remembers his time in French Quarter fondly, “I felt that was part of my real privilege, that opportunity to sleep with my doors open. I didn’t have any worries and I felt totally at home, but I felt really privileged to have out of every door or window where I looked, the natural landscape. I did a huge, huge body of work during those years.”

Amuseum Naturalis is located at The Old House in French Quarter. It is always free to visit, and all displays are outdoors. Guests are welcome to make a self-guided visit any time during daylight hours, any day of the week. 

This book was produced with the support of the Fonds pour le développement de la vie associative (FDVA). The project was a collaboration between the Les Fruits de Mer association and the Roland Richardson Heritage Association. The funding includes giving copies of the book to all of the schools on the French side of the island. Teachers and youth group leaders interested in copies are encouraged to contact Les Fruits de Mer at info@lesfruitsdemer.com. Companies, organizations or individuals interested in sponsoring copies for schools are also encouraged to contact the association.

The Les Fruits de Mer association invites the public to the free, holiday-themed launch for Oualichi Kids Island. The new coloring book showcases our local wildlife. The festive launch event will be held this Saturday December 13 from 9am to noon at Amuseum Naturalis. Kids and adults will enjoy free holiday crafts, including decorating cookies and wood ornaments in the shapes of our island wildlife. Free copies of the new book will be given away at the event, and light refreshments will be served.

Oualichi Kids Island features easy-to-color art of St. Martin animals and their names in English, French, Spanish and Dutch. It is the first book in the new Oualichi Kids book series from Les Fruits de Mer. The association created the new series in response to the requests of early education teachers for St. Martin coloring books with simple illustrations for the very young, and large-print animal names.

“Oualichi is one of the Amerindian names for this island,” said author Jenn Yerkes. “Oualichi Kids Island is specially made for the little ones who live in this unique multi-lingual place.”

“It’s a fun way for little kids to start connecting with the natural heritage of their island,” said Mark Yokoyama, co-founder of Les Fruits de Mer. “Plus it makes a great holiday gift,” added Yerkes. “So pass by and get a free copy at the Amuseum this Saturday morning!”

Free copies of Oualichi Kids Island will be given away at the launch, and festive art activities, cookie decorating and refreshments will be offered thanks to event sponsor Delta Petroleum. The free event will be held on Saturday December 13 at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House in French Quarter from 9am to noon.

The new book is also available as a free download from lesfruitsdemer.com, and for purchase on amazon.com worldwide. Teachers and youth group leaders interested in copies are encouraged to contact Les Fruits de Mer at info@lesfruitsdemer.com. Companies, organizations or individuals interested in sponsoring copies for schools are also encouraged to contact the association.

Free printed copies of Oualichi Kids Island will also be given to local schools as part of Les Fruits de Mer’s book program. This project is supported by Vie Associative and the Politique de la ville de Saint-Martin, implemented by the State and the Collectivité de Saint-Martin. Oualichi Kids Island was produced with support from Vie Associative, the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires.

In November we were on Statia and had a chance to share some early drafts to get community input. Thanks to everyone who attended our community feedback event or shared feedback in another setting!

The public is invited to celebrate the launch of the new bilingual English-Dutch edition of Animals Around Me/Dieren om mij heen. The book is a coloring book and nature journal featuring 41 animals that live on St. Martin. Originally published in a bilingual English-French edition, the translation and publication of the new English-Dutch edition was funded by Rotary Club of St. Maarten. Guests attending the launch will receive a free copy of the book.

“When we began giving books on the Dutch side of the island, teachers told us that the Dutch language is their hardest subject to teach,” explained Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes. “Dutch isn’t spoken much here, but knowing Dutch is key to many careers and educational opportunities. With the support of Rotary Club of St. Maarten, we were able to create a tool that can teach about local wildlife and also help build Dutch language skills.”

The Rotary Club of St. Maarten funded the translation and initial printing of the new edition of Animals Around Me/Dieren om mij heen. The project was a unique example of transboundary cooperation between organizations on each side of the island. This new edition will be printed and distributed to primary school students on St. Maarten for years to come. The Les Fruits de Mer association hopes to develop English-Dutch editions of many other books in the coming years.

“We are delighted to support local education,” said Rotary Club of St. Maarten President Adelena Chandler. “We are excited to support the students on our island and help them learn about the unique nature of the island. We also want to help our students gain language skills that will give them the broadest opportunities in education and careers.”

The book launch will be held on Saturday, November 29th from 9am to noon at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House on the hill above Coconut Grove. Free copies of the book will be given to those who attend the event. The launch is also a great chance to visit the museum. There will be a coloring station where kids can start enjoying the book right away. Light refreshments will be served.

Free printed copies of Animals Around Me/Dieren om mij heen will be given to local schools and students as part of Les Fruits de Mer’s book program. The book is also available as a free download from lesfruitsdemer.com, and for purchase on amazon.com worldwide. Teachers and youth group leaders interested in copies are encouraged to contact Les Fruits de Mer at info@lesfruitsdemer.com. Companies, organizations or individuals interested in sponsoring future English-Dutch editions of books about St. Martin nature and heritage are encouraged to contact Les Fruits de Mer.

This book was produced with the generous support of Rotary Club of St. Maarten.

SoualiKulture: A St. Martin Culture Activity Book

This book celebrates our culture, the culture of St. Martin. Culture is part of our identity as a people. It has many different elements. It includes language, and the way we talk. It includes the special way we cook and what we eat, our knowledge and traditions, and the way we live. Our arts, music, and dance are also all part of our culture. So are the events we celebrate and how we celebrate them, and so much more!

Download the book for free. (PDF, 108 pages)
Buy the book.