When author Kiran Lyall
recently had her own child she looked for a book she could use to
introduce her baby to Panjabi. She noticed there are plenty of
books/dvds targeting older children but a lack for the younger ones.
Kiran used her skills and experience to produce a brightly illustrated
and suitably robust book for young children that introduces them to some
key Panjabi words.
Book one contains chapters on the following:
- Counting
- Colours
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Drinks
- Days of the week
There is also a chapter highlighting what the child has learnt enabling them to make short sentences.
The Panjabi words have been represented in a Roman alphabet transliteration. Kiran has extensively tested her transliterations to ensure as close a match as possible between the Panjabi words and their representation for English speakers.
As well as enabling parents like Kiran to teach new words to their
child, the book is particularly valuable to teachers who wish to
introduce children in their class to Panjabi. Practicing teacher
Catherine Coop has commented that “this is an excellent resource for the
school library and classroom.”
Dr Raymonde Sneddon from the University of East London says 'This bright and colourful book will be welcomed by the many families in the Panjabi community who have not had the opportunity to learn the Gurmukhi script, but are keen to transmit the language to their young children. It will also be helpful in schools to teachers who are introducing children to different languages. I would have loved such a book when I was a teacher myself.’
Have Fun With Panjabi is out now and available through major bookstores.