The Little Boy from Jamaica: Interview with Children’s Book Author Devon Clunis
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FriesenPress is honoured to have assisted many writers of colour with sharing their stories over the years. In celebration of Black History Month, we’re amplifying the voices of some incredible Black FriesenPress authors.
During Black History Month, we celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Black people and their communities who, throughout history, have done so much to inspire change towards a more culturally diverse, compassionate, and prosperous world.
Devon Clunis has dedicated his life to blazing a trail that leads to a more diverse and equitable society. In 2012, Devon was named Winnipeg’s Chief of Police — the first Black man to be named to this position in Canadian history. And in October 2020, the Ontario Provincial Police announced that Devon would serve as the organization’s first Inspector General of Policing. In his new role, he oversees policing in Ontario with the goal of making it more transparent and accountable.
In between his many career achievements, Devon and his wife Pearlene have found yet another way to make a difference: by authoring children’s books. Published with FriesenPress, The Little Boy From Jamaica tells Devon’s story, offering a universal message of hope to all readers while underscoring how diversity and inclusion can bring us all closer together.
We caught up with Devon to ask about the origin of The Little Boy From Jamaica, the impact his and Pearlene’s books have had on readers, and what a recent large book donation meant to him.
Why did you write The Little Boy From Jamaica? Are you on a mission with this book?
The truth of the matter is that I didn't initially set out to write a children's book. For years, people have been telling me to write my story because they found it inspirational. They particularly liked the story of my grade six teacher, Ms Hanna, who really changed the course of my entire future. We had just immigrated to Winnipeg from Jamaica and the first year in Canada was a struggle academically. I failed grade six. There was a teacher who said they should put me in a class for "slow learners." Ms. Hanna felt differently. She offered me extra tutoring and within a few months, I excelled. I went on to become a top student and eventually the man I am today. That's what I started writing about and was almost 30,000 words into the manuscript when I shared it with my wife, Pearlene. She immediately saw the value it would bring to teachers, students, and the broad community about nurturing the potential in every child. It didn't take me long to see she was right. We immediately set aside my adult manuscript and wrote The Little Boy from Jamaica together over the course of a weekend.
The mission of our children's books is to empower communities to see the potential and value our individual roles in creating a culturally healthy society.
Describe your writing process. Had you written a book prior to The Little Boy From Jamaica?
Neither of us had written an official book before. Having said that, I have written Pearlene a lot of poetry over the years. (On one occasion, she gave me a poem to read. After reading it, I asked her who wrote it because I thought it was good. She then reminded me I had written it.)
Pearlene has always been my biggest inspiration. When we decided to write The Little Boy From Jamaica, we sat across from each other and the words flowed almost effortlessly as we would bounce them back and forth. When we got stuck, we would set it aside and come back later. We were stuck on the ending for quite some time and I remember when Pearlene finally came up with the right words. They were perfect and it is one of the parts of the book that leaves the reader most hopeful.
We didn't encounter any significant challenges in the writing. Where we found obstacles was with the publishing. The book has been incredibly well-received publicly. However, it was difficult to get a local publisher to see what we saw. We believed in the value of the story and decided to put our own money into publishing it. I'm glad we did, because it is changing lives.
What are you most proud of with regards to being a published author? Has publishing a book changed you in any way?
I think the thing we are most proud of is that we set our minds to writing and publishing The Little Boy From Jamaica and we followed through and did it. Secondly though, it’s the amazingly positive impact of our stories — especially in these culturally challenging times. Both books speak practically to the issues of diversity and inclusion and we have had the opportunity over the last four years to speak to thousands of children, teachers, and adults about these important values. I wouldn't say that publishing the book has necessarily changed us but I do believe it has illustrated to us the value in all of our individual stories when we take time to share them with the hopes of inspiring others to greater community good.
As you’ve mentioned, your wife Pearlene is the co-author of The Little Boy From Jamaica and her story is told in the companion book, The Little Girl from Osoyoos. How do the two books work together?
Pearlene and I are a couple and the books mirror us. Mine tells the story of diversity from an immigrant child's perspective. Pearlene's book tells the diversity story from the perspective of Canadian-born child of the majority population. The two come together and form the picture of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive Canada. I mentioned the culturally challenging times we are living in. I hope our stories will illustrate the path forward and show that the future belongs to us collectively. No one group stands above another. We all have something beautiful to contribute to the cultural fabric of our nation and our world.
In September, Pearlene and yourself donated 350 copies of your books to the local school system in Winnipeg. What did it mean to give back to your community in this way, having grown up in Winnipeg?
We believe there is no greater way to impact change than supporting teachers in their ability to educate children. That is why we chose to donate the books. I believe we need to set the example personally and professionally in helping our city to become a leading example of diversity and inclusion in action. We are in the late stages of completing teachers guides for both books in English and French as we firmly believe that children are the future. With culturally inclusive education we can help create the future by what we teach our children today. In time, we hope our books will be in every school across Canada and because we tend to dream big, maybe — just maybe — in every school across the globe.
Have you received feedback from readers (or parents of readers) about the book? What do they think?
We are constantly getting feedback from across the country and every now and then, somewhere else in the world. One of the constant praises is for our illustrator, Emily Campbell. People love her illustrations. One of the most satisfying pieces of feedback we receive is when individuals of all ages, including grandparents, say that they see themselves in the story, both as the child, and later, as a difference maker in a child's life. There is so much power in that. That makes it so worthwhile for us.
What advice would you give other aspiring authors?
Like Nike says: just do it. But secondly, write about something you are passionate about and don't listen to naysayers. Believe in yourself and your story and be willing to invest in it. We didn't write these stories to become rich. We self-published them because we believe they have value for the world and we weren't going to allow someone else to determine whether or not our stories would be read and heard. It is gratifying that they are being embraced and valued in that people are willing to pay for them.
Do you have any other book projects in the works? Will we see a third book in your series in the future?
We always intended to make these a series. The current global cultural unrest highlights the need for us to continue. I am working on the original adult manuscript and we hope to produce additional children's books in the near future.
If folks reading The Little Boy from Jamaica could take one thing away from the book, what do you hope that is?
I want people to know that their singular act of kindness can change a life, the way Miss Hanna changed mine. I want children to know that even though moments in life may be difficult, that there are many individuals who care for them and will help them through those difficult times. I want everyone of us, especially at this time, to see the hidden potential in every child and determine that we are going to nurture and ignite that potential.
The Little Boy From Jamaica is available now.
Visit thelittleboyfromjamaica.com to learn more about Devon Clunis and the book.
