St. Paul Public Library publishes books in Karen language
The St. Paul Public Library has published two new books in the Karen language.
Nearly 7,000 ethnic Karen from Myanmar, also known as Burma, live in the city. But there aren't many books about them, or in the Karen language, at the city's libraries.
Library director Jane Eastwood said the books — "Elephant Huggy" and "The Hen and the Badger" — will be used during storytime, and distributed to nonprofits that assist Karen refugees.
"When Karen children hear stories in their native language, it strengthens their abilities to learn English. And hopefully, to succeed in school," she said.
Karen writers Win World and Saw Powder authored the colorful new books, which were illustrated by local artists.
They'll be published in print and as e-books with English versions available, too.
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