Bilingual Children’s Book Illustrated By Local School Children

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Eureka, Ca., (KIEM)- Sometimes helping children to deal with anger in constructive ways can be tricky. What better way to help kids understand how to deal with emotions than through media (books in this case). Can Emu Really Sing Jambo? is a brand new children’s book, written by local music teacher Peter K. Jain.

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Jain applies more than two decades of experience as a teacher as he constructs a rich and easy to understand plot. His book follow’s the journey of a little boy names Paine. Paine is angry, but he soon finds an outlet in music, and adventure with an Emu who follows his teacher around.

The story alone could be valuable for a lot of young people, but that’s not the only reason why it could be poised for major success.

This children’s book is illustrated by children. The students at South Bay Union Elementary School drew the pictures that pull the reader through Can Emu Really Sing Jambo?. Humboldt State University art students helped usher the kids through the illustration process. Later, many of those same kids would take part in the creation of a musical production of the story.

“Jambo” is the Swahili word for “Hello,” but that’s not the only non-English word you’ll find thumbing through the picture book. Can Emu Really Sing Jambo? is bilingual. The cover page also reads: Puede Emu Cantar Realmente Jambo? 

The translation was also a project of two South Bay Union students (who got a little help from the Humboldt State Translation Club).

The book in many ways belongs to the community. Efforted by college students, local publishers, and grade school children it is a work of community art. Purhaps for that reason, Can Emu Really Sing Jambo? is available for free on HSU’s Digital Commons here. 

The finished publication is also available to purchase in hard back from Barnes and Noble and Amazon. 50% of the sales are donated back to South Bay Union art programs.