6-year-old Jamaican author shares talents with the world
THE words creative and artistic are just a few that come to mind after you interact with Sapphire Cadogan.
Though small in frame, her ability to immerse you in her imagined world of adventure through visual arts and storytelling is nothing short of remarkable.
It is no surprise then that the highly imaginative six-year-old will begin her newest chapter to become one of Jamaica’s youngest authors.
Her first book, The Magical Fruits, which is a self-published body of work, is available on the popular e-commerce platform Amazon, and will become available locally soon.
“I love telling my stories and thinking about fun things to do, so I can’t wait to share that with everyone,” Sapphire said.
Under her brand, SMC Tales, she hopes to share her vivid imagination with children across the world and promote good habits among her peers.
“Ultimately, our mission is to provide engaging stories that will encourage children to enjoy reading and exploring their imagination through non-fiction. Creativity and fun are the keys,” Sapphire’s father Greg surmised.
When asked how the story came about, her mother Audia pinpointed the pandemic lockdowns as the catalyst for Sapphire’s creativity.
“We noticed from early that Sapphire is extremely creative and has a vivid and vibrant imagination, so when the pandemic hit and she could not attend school in person, we devised our at-home story time sessions to keep her engaged after her virtual classes ended,” Audia said.
“During this time, she would grab her pencils, crayons and art supplies, sit in the living room and draw the various scenes from her stories, which she thoroughly enjoyed doing, and then narrated to us,” she continued.
The practice eventually became a habit, which prompted her parents to record her pieces, which they later transcribed.
“Her father and I are immensely proud to see her accomplish her dream of becoming an author and look forward to seeing what else she will achieve,” Audia commented.
According to her parents, the young creative has been integral in the publishing process and has even shared her drawings for them to be incorporated into the story. Knowing that she wanted her book to be fun, Sapphire also asked her parents to include other activities to spark the creativity in others.
“I just want my friends from all around the world to join the adventure and have fun!” Sapphire said.
Local talent Andre Rankine and Partner illustrated the story.
To join in on the adventure, interested follow Sapphire’s social media page SMC__Tales on Instagram or contact the family at smctales@gmail.com.
