MABARUMA native, Carissa Kissoon, has captured Guyana from her point-of-view in her first children’s book, “The Bee Who Believed.”

What started as unique drawings from her perspective, became a story for children and teens to feel inspired and motivated to persevere despite the challenges or difficulties they may face.

Carissa grew up in Mabaruma, Region One, and moved to Georgetown to attend The Bishops’ High School. Following this, she moved to New York, USA, where she attended college and later earned her Master’s in Biology.

Carissa, in an exclusive interview with this publication, said she wanted to create something that was intrinsically Guyanese. Reminiscing on her childhood, Carissa shared that during this time she loved reading stories. From the Nelson Readers   books to Nancy Drew, Benjamin Button, and many other childhood classics.

Thanks to her parents who encouraged her love of reading, Carissa grew up surrounded by books, and was exposed to nature, and its many fruits from an early age.

Continuing, the artist, and now writer, said her book depicts art in a garden, which was inspired by her sister who now resides in Berbice, Region Six, and who has a garden and a love for plants.

In October, in time for artists “inktober”, Carissa said she challenged herself to complete her drawings with colourful prints. She drew fireflies, then a bee with a light bulb because this bee could not glow in the dark like fireflies do.

“So, I added him with a light bulb -and it was raining, so I was like, I’m going to add a little umbrella. But it’s going to be windy, so he’s going to lose the umbrella. So that’s sort of how the origin story of this book started. Because I had no idea what the story was going to be. I only started drawing this and I really liked it,” Kissoon said.

After receiving a positive comment, Carissa developed her idea for a story. She expressed that many would speak on academic pressures they face, especially those persons who leave Guyana to study abroad, and are alone. Carissa emphasised that they learn on their own.

She explained, “I wanted the bee to have a journey in the garden, and I wanted him to have sort of like anxieties, doubts, all these things that are very human nature, very intrinsic to a young person in life.”

Without naming the problem the bee faced, Carissa posited that she wanted the problem to be something that he could overcome, not something that was rid of right away.

The Bee Who Believed is one of four children’s books that will be published by Carissa. This book took one month and two weeks to be completed, with one month to draw the illustrations, three hours to write the story, and the remaining time to ensure the book was properly edited, and the quality was the best and up to the standard she wanted.

An avid cricket fan, Carissa disclosed that her second book will be written about cricket, and will highlight what cricket means to Guyanese fans, highlighting how one sport unites us all despite our differences. The third would feature her dog, Teagray and all the adventures they had together when she was growing up.

The final book will be based on her time in college in the United States.

Carissa shared that her aim is to have her paperback (hardcover) books in schools for children to read and be inspired, not only by her words, but detailed illustrations. At present the book is available on Amazon.