I Am Jamaica

Jamaica, my sweet, lovely island. Land of wood and water. Even the sound of your name echoes melodious music in my soul. My exquisite island is surrounded by beautiful beaches, sparkling water, and coconut trees…Your beautiful, sun-kissed people - bronze, ebony, mocha, café au-lait, pretty as a picture and so talented! My Jamaica. Exotic to some, to me you are home. Your diverse luxuriant flowers and shrubs, fruits and food, nourishment for body, soul, and music beloved throughout the world make Jamaica second to none.
 
Come with me and enjoy the culture of sweet Jamaica as you journey through this alphabet book - I Am Jamaica. Let's Go!

Ann-Marie Zoë Coore, a native Jamaican, has over twenty years of experience in international public health and international business. She has worked for organizations and youth programs such as the CDC Parent Matters Project, the Office of Minority Health, and Integrated Social Solutions/AstraZeneca.  Ann-Marie is the President and Founder of Coore Foundation, and its subsidiary Girls Right Of Way (GROW) www.girlsrightofway.org. She leads the Coore Foundation's annual "HIV, STD, and Teen Pregnancy Prevention Camps" in the Caribbean, the USA, South & Central America, and Africa.  Ann-Marie also develops, implements, and monitors intervention programs for children in twenty-three countries worldwide. These programs include GROW Literacy – reading centers; GROW Sole – providing new and lightly used shoes to those in need and GROW Rhythm – music schools for children in high crime and under-resourced communities.
 
She is currently leading work with "GOD ROCKS", her publishing, production, and promotion company, and "I AM A QUINTESSENTIAL WOMAN", her company that supports women around the world to move mountains through women empowering women in an atmosphere of caring and mutual respect developing their essential self while starting, leading, and sustaining their essential work. Brian Clarke was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. He is a self-taught artist, sketching from the tender age of five years old. He became very serious about pursuing a career in art when he attended Edith Dalton James High School. While in high school, he had a wonderful opportunity to be taught and mentored by one of Jamaica's finest artists, Devon Harris. Although Brian's passion is in landscape and portraits, he has also worked diligently to hone his skills in illustrating children's books. Brian's dream is to attend college and further his education in 2D and 3D animation, character design, and illustration.