My Father's Books
Bringing Students Together
Jones’ Bilingual Story Encourages Families To Read
By Luanne Austin, Daily News-Record. April 19, 2007
Nancy Bondurant Jones can’t change the whole world, so she decided to make a contribution to her world. She decided to help Hispanic children — and families — learn English.
Her book, “Jeremy the wonderer,” or “Jeremias el curioso,” is a story about a young Hispanic boy whose curiosity about the world is allowed to flourish. The simple story, beautifully illustrated by Margot Bergman, is written in English and Spanish.
Jones and the book’s translator, Ina Mattson, will read the story in English and Spanish at 4 p.m. on April 25 at Massanutten Regional Library.
“My purpose is to help ease Hispanics into our culture by reading to their children,” says Jones, of Harrisonburg. “It’s not a Hispanic tradition to read to children.”
Hispanics lean more toward a tradition of storytelling and folklore, says Laura Hodges, assistant principal at Spotswood Elementary School.
In the story, Jeremy wonders about everything. “He always wondered,” writes Jones.
“He wondered why there were different moons in the sky and only one sun.
He wondered how baby birds could fit in the little eggshells he’d found on a walk with Grandpa.
He wondered what made flat stones his dad threw skip across the creek while his sank.”
Jeremy’s grandfather, who lives on a farm, encourages the young boy’s curiosity about the world.
“It’s a Hispanic family, but with universal themes, like skipping rocks across a pond and gazing at stars,” says Jones. “The people fit into society and they’re nice people, but ordinary people with lives we share — not the stereotype of Hispanics.”
Hodges is impressed with the book’s artwork.
“Margot went into the heart of the book with her illustrations,” says Jones.
Bergman did all the pictures but one. Jones’ 6-year-old granddaughter, Dana Jones, drew the apple and knife shown on the last page.
“One day I just set the apple and knife on the coffee table and said, ‘Now draw that.’ And she did,” Jones says.
As a teacher — for 29 years, she taught everything from kindergarten to 12th grade — Jones was concerned also with SOLs. The book helps children with their deductive skills, she says.
For instance, it’s never stated that Jeremy’s grandfather lives on a farm, but the illustrations show the boy climbing around in a barn, observing ants among garden plants and listening to bullfrogs in the pond. It’s never stated he lives in a city apartment, either, but shows him gazing out the window to the street several stories below.
Jones may be better known for her history articles and books. This is her first venture into fiction and children’s books. She decided to do it after an experience with tutoring a 6th grade boy. She found the SOL preparation materials to be “totally boring.”
“He was memorizing,” says Jones. “It didn’t call for his reasoning to make deductions. I thought, ‘How can I make that different?’ ”
Searching through dual language books in print, Jones found only one or two original stories. Most were fairy tales and legends. And there wasn’t much to interest boys.
Jones found sponsors to help publish the book and CD. One of those sponsors is the Arts Council of the Valley.
“We decided to help sponsor it because it’s a local writer and artist,” says Joan Strickler, board secretary. “Plus, it’s quite charming. Several of our members do reading in the schools and we thought it was appropriate for that.”
Local schools do plan to use the book in classrooms.
“It’s a very well-done book,” says Charlette McQuilkin, Rockingham County Schools director of student assessment.
The format, she says, makes it a wonderful resource in helping Spanish-speaking students learn English and English-speaking students learn Spanish.
“It’s relevant,” says Laura Hodges, assistant principal at Spotswood Elementary School. “We want to have enough to use in our ESL classes.”
Hodges says the CD, which features Jones reading the story, provides a great option for children whose parents may be illiterate.
“Jeremy the wonderer” can be purchased for $10 at Downtown Books, Books of Merit, Chelvy’s Salon, Ruth’s Books and the VMRC Gift Shop. For an extra $3, Jones will ship books. Send $13 to 1632 College Ave., Harrisonburg, VA 22802.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
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