A Collaboration Between Father and Daughter

Using over a year of pictures from their iPhones, Yanatha Desouvre and his wife, Amy, started compiling images of their two children partaking in different activities together.
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Using over a year of pictures from their iPhones, Yanatha Desouvre and his wife, Amy, started compiling images of their two children partaking in different activities together. Desouvre would eventually bring them all together on his computer with the oldest daughter by his side.

Five-year-old Reanna would dictate the words to her father of what would become "Big Sister, Littler Sister," a collaboration between father and daughter.

"My eldest daughter [Reanna] started to read at about three-years-old while she was attending a Montessori school," Desouvre said. "It only made sense to do [the story] it with her. It would not only motivate her to read, but maybe inspire other children her age to do the same."

Big Sister, Little Sister, self-published by Desouvre, chronicles the first day Reanna became a big sister to her younger sister Danielle and all the days beyond that over a course of a year and a half.

At such a young age, Desouvre felt that it was important to share his daughter's story so that she could express the deep love that is felt between sisters.

"It's never to early to learn to read and love it," Desouvre said. "It's critical to one's success in the future."

Desouvre started writing creatively himself when he was in middle school; he would sale his poems and give them to his peers.

"I use to write blogs on MySpace and had subscribers to my blogs from all over the world, it was a truly humbling experience," Desouvre said. "I only published my first book when a friend of mine, Jason Fleurant, asked when my book was coming out."

Originally born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Desouvre grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., and presently resides in Philadelphia with his family.

He received his MBA in Marketing and Mass Communication and Media Management at Lynn University in June, 2010, and a Bachelor's Degree in MIS and Marketing at Drexel University in 2001.

Desouvre hopes that other children who read his daughter's story in Philadelphia and other cities will become inspired and experience the joys of reading for themselves.

"Developing the book was a family and friends affair," Desouvre said. "My cousin, Antoine Coulanges helped with the translation in French and a great friend of mine Morayama James did the Spanish translation."

Desouvre added that when receiving the very first proofs of the book, Reanna was so excited that she read it each night as a bedtime story to Danielle for just a few hours before falling asleep herself.

Promoting the book has been a challenge without a publishing company's support. Though Desouvre decided to stick with the option because of the full control he was able to have of the story.

"I recommend it for any writer who wants to publish a book," Desouvre said. "With the technology that is out there plus companies like Amazon investing in self-publishing companies, the task of self-publishing high quality great books available to the masses isn't a difficult thing."

With the help of friends, news about Big Sister, Little Sister has been spreading. The children's book has made it to Amazon's Hot New Release in its sibling's category when first releasing in March.

"I am now working on my first non-creative book "Life is about Purpose" (Not a Position) - A Guide to Effective and Actionable Leadership inspired by true life events as well," Desouvre said. "The manuscripts of my other books have been written and will be published soon there after."

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