Picture Books To Learn Anicinabemowin
The Kebaowek Anicinabe community is actively promoting the transmission of its traditional language, especially with children. In 2019, a common vision helped create six illustrated books in three languages: English, French and Anicinabe.
Children and Elders of the community worked together to make this project a reality. The stories, imagined by the children, were illustrated by Anicinabe artists. Each book includes a recording of the stories read in Anicinabe by the community’s children.
The stories were written in English, then translated into French and Anicinabe by Suzanne Mapitchie. She worked with the children, helping them with their pronunciation.
“Their level of ease depends on their age, but it’s not difficult. Children are like sponges: they learn so quickly!”
-Suzanne Mapitchie