By Pacific Island Times News Staff
"The Little Prince," a classic children's book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry,
has been translated into the CHamoru language by Påle’ Eric Forbes through a grant from the Jean-Marc Probst Foundation.
"I Dikkiki’ na Prinsipi," the CHamoru language edition of "The Little Prince," will be officially released this week by the Guam Department of Education.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a French writer and aviator, published "The Little Prince" in English and French in the United States in 1943. The book has sold more than 140 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 569 languages and dialects, making it the second most translated book ever.
The book narrates the adventures of a young prince who explores the cosmos and discovers valuable insights about life, love and friendship.
Forbes is the former Capuchin Superior for Guam and Hawaii, and a prolific author in CHamoru and English. “I am delighted to have been able to not only translate 'The Little Prince' but to bring 'I Dikkiki na Prinsipi' to the children of Guam," he said.
The grant also supported the preparation for printing and publication by Glimpses Media.
“This book is a precious resource for our schools to motivate, assist and enrich the CHamoru language learning for the young generation and the adults who
want to learn the language,” said Erik Swanson, GDOE superintendent.
Jimmy Teria, administrator of the CHamoru Studies and Special Projects Division of GDOE, said "I Dikkiki na Prinsipi" is a valuable addition to
the CHamoru language literacy materials.
"Not only because of the story and lessons imparted through the Little Prince's journey but through reading and comprehension we build up our vocabulary and enrich our language capacity," Teria said.
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