Grupo Guayacán, a Puerto Rican nonprofit celebrating its 30th anniversary, has published its first children’s book, "Enrique y el guayacán," to plant the seed of entrepreneurship in children. The book was written by executive director Laura Cantero and development manager Gabriela Miranda, and tells the story of Enrique, a boy who dreams of building a market in his grandparents’ town.
With a special guayacán tree and his friends, he discovers that talents are like seeds: with imagination, effort, and support from others, they can grow and bear extraordinary fruit. Cantero said the book emerged from a question the organization asked itself for its 30th anniversary: what legacy to leave for future generations of entrepreneurs in Puerto Rico, helping children discover their talents rather than teaching them about business plans or raising capital.
The protagonist is named after Enrique "Ricky" Adsuar González, founder of Grupo Guayacán, and other characters are inspired by past chief executives and board presidents. The book is sold at guayacan.org/libro with shipping or pickup at the Hato Rey offices, and at Bámbola Juguetes, Librería Norberto González, Casa Norberto, MS Books and The Bookmark. Proceeds support the Guayacán Endowment Fund, which funds the organization’s training programs.
The launch included a public reading before dozens of families at Liberty Square de San Patricio Plaza, with more readings planned.