A million! A great thousand! A thousand thousands! We found out  that there was no word for million in Old English simply because its speakers had no great use for it! Well, we're glad that the word million was coined, because here we are, on the other side of #RaceToAMillionReads. 

First of all, a big THANK YOU to our amazing community across the world for being such an integral part of what we do. It's your stories, your translations and your unwavering belief that all children should have access joyful stories that have helped us celebrate so many milestones. Without your support and goodwill we wouldn't be where we are or having so much fun doing what we do!

We hope you continue to support us on our journey to find more ways to provide equitable access to stories in mother tongue languages for all children. 

See you at... two million? A billion? A trillion? 

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Aboli Chowdhary is a Spanish teacher and StoryWeaver Language Champion. She has translated over 30 books into Spanish. We reached out to her to come on board to build curated lists of Spanish resources that are particularly in need to keep children engaged, while they are away from school due to the ongoing pandemic. Aboli instantly agreed to help us.  Read this piece by Aboli, where she shares her thoughts on translation and her experience using StoryWeaver’s Translate tool.

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Hello, I am Aboli Chowdhary from Pune, India. I am a Spanish teacher and freelance Spanish translator. I love travelling. Although I was born and brought up in Mumbai, I got opportunities to live in cities like Bangalore and Vizag (Visakhapatnam). 

Do tell us  about your relationship with Spanish - what drew you to learning the language, and then teaching it?

My relationship with Spanish goes back to 2014, when I first started learning Spanish. I must mention here that it was by chance! After working in the demanding retail sector for a few years, I wanted to learn a new language, and Spanish seemed to be one of the languages of the future, considering there are almost 420 million Spanish speakers spread across 21 countries! After completing an advanced diploma in Spanish, I wanted to stay in touch with the language and practise it, so  I started teaching.

What is your experience of teaching children a foreign language and translating for children? 

It’s fun teaching any foreign language to children! They are curious to learn not only the language but also its culture. And that, in my opinion can be best explored through stories. 

One of the biggest challenges while translating a story is ‘keeping the soul of the story’ intact. One has to be very careful in choosing colloquial expressions, while at the same time promoting cultural exchange. 

When you have been given a picture book to translate, what is your process, and how long does it usually take? How was the experience of translating on StoryWeaver?

My experience with StoryWeaver has been wonderful thanks to the friendly interaction with its members and their prompt technical support. 

For translation, I generally re-read the story and try to understand its core values and message. The next step is to find the apt expression in Spanish and then translate. I found some of the stories like ‘Ammachi’s Amazing Machines’ challenging while translating the sound words into Spanish. But at the same time, while translating stories like, ‘The Rainbow Sambar’, I had to maintain the ‘Indian essence’ by using local language words with an explanation. 

Luckily, the time taken to translate the stories got reduced due to the available translation draft. I used this feature on the StoryWeaver platform for translating several stories and made the necessary changes to the words and expressions. 

How do you approach translating the storybooks across varying Reading Levels?

Reading levels are based on the exposure to the language, rather than just age of the reader. Keeping this in mind, I use simple and easy words with occasional sound words for the earlier levels. 

What are some of your favourite books from childhood? Is there any memorable reading experience that you would like to share?

I remember reading numerous ACK (Amar Chitra Katha) books in my childhood, especially on long train journeys! The language was simple with great illustrations!

We are so grateful for your contribution towards Spanish content on the platform, especially during these difficult times when there is such a need for children's reading material. Thank you for sharing the joy of reading in Spanish!

I believe that the potential of this platform is tremendous, especially since the COVID-19 outbreak. I strongly recommend reading books on this platform.I want to translate more stories into Spanish soon. So, ¡Nos vemos pronto! (See you soon!) :-)

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Today is World Children's Day - a time to reflect upon and renew our commitment to protect children's rights.  Here is a selection of books that showcase some of the principles listed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

We hope that these books will be a useful resource for educators, parents, and caregivers, and that they inspire our young readers.

 

Ikru's First Day of School | Article 28: The right to education

What will Ikru's very first day at school be like? This heartwarming, wordless book brings alive the unexpected delights and quiet fears of a child's first experience of going to school.

A Level 1 storybook written and illustrated by Sunaina Coelho, and published by Pratham Books.

 

Just Like Me | Article 12: The right to form and express views freely

It’s Rahah’s birthday party. Mum wants to know who she will invite. Will they all fit in?

A Level 2 storybook written by Hani du Toit, illustrated by Mary Anne Hampton, and published by Book Dash.

 

Your Body is Yours | Article 19 & 34: The right to be protected from violence and abuse

Your body is unique and it belongs only to you. Get to know it, and learn to take good care of it. A book that aims to start open and healthy conversations around our bodies, and our right to say no to anyone who does not respect boundaries.

A Level 3 storybook written by Yamini Vijayan, illustrated by Aindri C, and published by Pratham Books.

 

I Know My Rights | Article 42: The right to know and exercise your rights

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child lists out the basic rights that children have. It doesn’t matter where you come from, what colour your skin is, whether you practice a religion or not, what language you speak, whether you are a boy or a girl or haven’t decided yet – you have the right to these rights! This poster book lists out some of the rights of the child.

A Level 4 storybook written by Menaka Raman, illustrated by Sunando C, and published by Pratham Books.

 

SUPPORT STORYWEAVER

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that all children have the right to an education that helps them fully develop their personalities, talents, and abilities. The ability to read is the ability to learn, explore, and imagine.

StoryWeaver is deeply committed to the goal of literacy and giving children open and free access to the reading resources and opportunities they need to succeed in school and beyond. With your help, we can do even more. Visit https://storyweaver.org.in/donate.

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