Our Story
6 years ago my nephew Idris was born - and my entire life changed. When I watch Idris grow and discover the world around him, I learn just as much in the process. It’s so important for me that Idris, a young Black boy, learns to see himself in everything that he reads. This is how the company Travelling Feet Books was born!
Our first stop? ABC Where are We? The West Indies!
WHY I STARTED TRAVELLING FEET BOOKS:
This BIPOC children’s book helps inspire and invoke curiosity in young travellers - there’s such a wide world for them to see! By using the ABCs as an anchor, I’m helping early readers learn about the West Indies and what it has to offer. Readers will travel to beautiful islands and see what makes them special in their own way - from Jamaica to Bonaire, and Monserrat to Trinidad and Tobago, we’re not leaving a single stone unturned with our travelling feet.
Ayana Francis is the Trinbagonian-born Canadian Author of ABC Where are We? The West Indies!
Her first published book is ABC Where are We? The West Indies! which was inspired by her nephew, Idris.
Her admiration for her nephew, along with a fervent love for travelling, is how the book ABC Where are We? The West Indies came about.
When not writing, Miss Francis can be found attending one of her many book clubs, exploring different countries, or bike riding through the city of Toronto... if she’s not playing merrily with her nephew of course!
Miss. Francis has a degree in Social Work, from York University, and has studied American Sign Language, Anthropology, and Public Health. She enjoys learning new skills, and meeting new friends on her many different adventures.
Her book ABC Where are We? The West Indies! is a tool for vibrant imagination. Caribbean children will see themselves in the beautiful diversity of the West Indies as every flip of the page reveals another kaleidoscope of colour. Learning the ABCs just got fun!
Bhumika Patel is the editor of ABC Where are We? The West Indies!
She is a Wellness Practitioner and small business owner focusing on mindfulness, mental health, and physical well-being in BIPOC communities. She also runs a skin care company focused on natural products with Ayurvedic ingredients.
Bhumika brings extensive editing and writing support to Travelling Feet Books by way of an Honours Bachelor of Arts in English and Linguistics. Her own history of writing and editing expands well into her childhood - she has been engaged in both since elementary school.
Bhumika can often be found taking the path less travelled - as long as it leads to a forest food worth foraging! She loves exploring nature, and being in the present moment. She believes in humanity’s cyclical and seasonable nature, and her ancestral roots lay in Gujarat, India.
This is not Ayana and Bhumikas’ first editing collaboration, and it won’t be their last. They have been working together to edit and produce beautifully written work for the past 10 years.