I am Jennifer Demar, the president of Guatemala Service Projects, and I authored two quadrilingual books. The four languages represented are Spanish, English, and two Mayan languages — K’iche’ and Kaqchikel.
Peter Perdido Finds His Way
Peter Perdido is a children’s story that chronicles the adventure of Peter the penguin, a visitor to Guatemala that relies on the Guatemalan animal friends he meets to help him find his way and carry out his mission. Each animal (quetzal, monkey, frog, jaguar, and iguana) teaches positive character traits or a moral values as well as helps Peter in the process. Peter also meets and learns from a couple of humans that share with him the culture and tales of Guatemala.
In this wonderful story that closely resembles the author’s inaugural service project in Guatemala, Peter learns about friendship, using your talents, believing in yourself, helping others, appreciating beauty, respecting elders, being an effective leader, and celebrating cultural diversity!
Guatemalan Picture Dictionary
This book has over 200 common words and phrases and includes audio files in all four languages so that you can hear how the words are pronounced. The words are subdivided into basic categories, giving the reader a broad basic vocabulary. Each word or phrase is accompanied by a lovely illustration and shows the printed word in Spanish, English, K’iche’ and Kaqchikel. The list of categories for single words are as follows: colors, numbers, animals, shapes, science, days of the week, body, food, home, clothing, the arts, communication & technology, transportation, society, professions, family, fun, and weather. At the end of the picture dictionary is a final category which includes a couple dozen common phrases!
The picture dictionary contains 89 pages, each with a couple or few illustrations hand-drawn by Paulayna Lefevre with colored pencils. Each purchase of the picture dictionary comes with access to individual audio files so that you can hear the words being pronounced and learn how to say them as well as read them. The audio files can be made available by download or on CD. As an example, listen to the K’iche’ and Kaqchikel versions of “bird”, one of the words in the ANIMALS category:
Both are beautifully illustrated full-color paperbacks and would make great gifts for anyone with a connection to Guatemala or a lover of languages.
The two books are being marketed with the intention of sales in a few ways:
1) Americans will buy/keep them because they want to learn Spanish or the Mayan languages
2) Americans will buy/donate them so that preschool kids in Guatemala that only know their indigenous language can begin to learn Spanish prior to entering school
3) Americans will buy/donate them so that older kids in Guatemala can begin to learn English for better opportunities
Guatemala Service Projects would like to thank the following individuals for their services:
Illustrators
- Paulayna Lefevre (Guatemalan Picture Dictionary)
- Alyssa Hoskins (Peter Perdido, characters)
- Shaina Boldt (Peter Perdido, scenery)
Translators
- Diego Xirum, K’iche’ and Spanish
- Esthela Gomez, Kaqchikel
- Lilian Xinico, Kaqchikel
- Claire Young, Spanish
- Danielle Chaussée, Spanish
- Jenny Piorkowski, Spanish
- Jacobo Castillo, Spanish
Audio Files
- Diego Xirum, K’iche’
- Esthela Gomez, Kaqchikel
- Drew Thiel, Spanish
- Sarah Demar, English
The “right” opportunity arose when I learned about a travel opportunity for adoptive families which would include volunteer work and cultural sightseeing. Being members of that team had a profound impact on me, Lillian and Andrew. Not only were we able to make a real connection to our son’s birthplace, but we met incredibly warm and generous people, all of whom we now consider to be a part of our “family.” In addition to the volunteer work I shared with the Team, I also was able to “give back” by performing as my alter ego, “Farfel the Clown” at a barbecue for children of The Backyard School. It will remain one the proudest and happiest memories of my life.