Back in April, my friend, PT book reviewer and former blog contributor, Charlotte Richardson, wrote a beautiful review of Yoon and the Jade Bracelet, the third in a series about a young Korean girl trying to adjust to life in the US. In the Jade Bracelet, Yoon wants a jump rope for her birthday but instead gets a bracelet and a Korean folktale about a girl who outwits a tiger.
When Charlotte finished her review, she passed the book on to her 13 year-old friend, Daniel, a Mexican boy who immigrated to the US and lives in Tucson, Arizona. Daniel, who attends Mansfeld Middle School as a 7th Grader, read the book (”I thought the story was great because it warns you about what can happen if you trust someone that you just met“) and decided to send it, along with his own Spanish translation, to his younger sister Karen, who lives in Mexico. “I decided to translate the book because my sister’s 10th birthday gift was a bracelet and this story talks about a bracelet, too. She hasn’t received my gift yet, but I hope she will, soon.”
Like Yoon, Daniel is adjusting to life in the US. Like Yoon, he builds bridges between his two worlds through his open-heartedness, cleverness and curiosity. How beautiful to imagine Karen opening her birthday gift to find a bracelet and a story translated specially for her—a gift that will tell of her brother’s love and, perhaps without him even realizing it himself, of his challenges and accomplishments in this new land.
Who’s to say where the book and translation will go after Karen’s read them? I like to think about the ripple effect of stories. Once they are out there, there’s no telling who they will reach or resonate with.
Here’s an excerpt from Daniel’s translation document, which he titled “Karen’s new book”:
Yoon y la Pulsera de Jade
escrito por Helen Recorvits, ilustrado por Gabi Swiatkowska
Traducción en español: Daniel Pérez Ángeles Russell-Neeley
“Mi nombre es Yoon. Vengo de Corea, un país muy lejos.
Poco después de que nos acomodamos en los Estados Unidos, era tiempo para celebrar mi cumpleaños. Esperaba que me regalaran un regalo muy especial – una cuerda (riata). Miraba a las niñas de mi escuela brincar la cuerda y cantar canciones felices. Yo quería brincar la cuerda y cantar con ellas, pero yo no había sido invitada todavía. Yo seguía siendo la niña nueva.
El día de mi cumpleaños, mi mama me llamo y me dijo: “Pequeña Yoon, ven! Tengo un regalo para ti.” Yo aplaudí y corrí hacia ella. Me dio algo delgado y liso, envuelto en un bonito papel. “Feliz cumpleaños!” me dijo. Pero las cuerdas no son delgadas y planas, eso pienso. Trate de no mostrar mi desilusión. “Gracias mama,” le dije sonriendo. Mi mama me miraba con entusiasmo mientras abría mi regalo. Ere un libro de historias Coreano de una niña chiquita que había sido engañada por un tigre. Yo sabía la historia y me reí de la niña tontita…”