The comment about For You Are A Kenyan Child was replied to by both me and my editor at Simon & Schuster. The book was not intended to be a language primer but an exhuberant invitation to language and culture for play and global community and lifelong learning. The Swahili is playfully and artistically translated with keen attention to how the people in the story (all true people from the Kalenjin tribe) used the various words, Swahili being this village’s third or fourth language, hence the casual, very informal rendering of the language for rhythm and for the verve and spark of how wonderfully musical and fun Swahili is. To translate mid text the long winded formal dictionary definitions the complaint seems to desire would have produced an entirely different book. The pictures are whimsical and too the language, and not intended to violate the culture or the language but to simply, like kids, have fun and feel interested and curious and happy to open up to the world.
I am from the UK but I always reebmmer from my history lessons hearing about the mixing pot’ that is America, something to be proud of and a fundamental part of the American Dream. Thousands flocked to America in the past and still do in pursuit of that dream. Whilst Britain does not historically hold the same ideal as part of its indentity, it too has become a mixing pot of so many different cultures, faiths, nationalities that are all free to live in Britain and become part of what it means to be British. I see all of these people as British, and I love the fact that you can get all different kinds of foods, clothes, music etc. and respect the fact that there are different religions. I just DO NOT UNDERSTAND the people who complain about Muslims’ or Arabs’ etc. But there is always a group to focus on. In Britain it was the Irish, then the Jews, the West Indians, now the Muslims (to simplify things a lot). There’s just always someone to target Sorry for my long rant! In short YES I agree. Being American incorporates a lot of things, and though that video states the obvious to me I believe that many people just do not get it so I hope people watch it!VA:F [1.9.20_1166]
The comment about For You Are A Kenyan Child was replied to by both me and my editor at Simon & Schuster. The book was not intended to be a language primer but an exhuberant invitation to language and culture for play and global community and lifelong learning. The Swahili is playfully and artistically translated with keen attention to how the people in the story (all true people from the Kalenjin tribe) used the various words, Swahili being this village’s third or fourth language, hence the casual, very informal rendering of the language for rhythm and for the verve and spark of how wonderfully musical and fun Swahili is. To translate mid text the long winded formal dictionary definitions the complaint seems to desire would have produced an entirely different book. The pictures are whimsical and too the language, and not intended to violate the culture or the language but to simply, like kids, have fun and feel interested and curious and happy to open up to the world.
Such a lovely book for the little ones aged 13 and under!
I am from the UK but I always reebmmer from my history lessons hearing about the mixing pot’ that is America, something to be proud of and a fundamental part of the American Dream. Thousands flocked to America in the past and still do in pursuit of that dream. Whilst Britain does not historically hold the same ideal as part of its indentity, it too has become a mixing pot of so many different cultures, faiths, nationalities that are all free to live in Britain and become part of what it means to be British. I see all of these people as British, and I love the fact that you can get all different kinds of foods, clothes, music etc. and respect the fact that there are different religions. I just DO NOT UNDERSTAND the people who complain about Muslims’ or Arabs’ etc. But there is always a group to focus on. In Britain it was the Irish, then the Jews, the West Indians, now the Muslims (to simplify things a lot). There’s just always someone to target Sorry for my long rant! In short YES I agree. Being American incorporates a lot of things, and though that video states the obvious to me I believe that many people just do not get it so I hope people watch it!VA:F [1.9.20_1166]