KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Kayla Desroches/KMXT
The Alutiiq Museum is expanding its e-book collection, this time with stories focusing on children and their natural environments.
The digital picture books are geared towards improving kids’ Alutiiq language literacy.
The project began last fall with three stories: one about winter, one about summer, and one about a girl and her dog – all classic themes with local writers and illustrators. In fact, according to an Alutiiq Museum press release, one of the new books added to the app features colorful drawings that Port Lions children created between 2012 and 2013.
Kathy Nelson wrote the book, titled “Golden Crown Sparrow,” and it’s based on a story elder John Pestrikoff told about spring and salmon.
The other two new additions are also nature-themed, and Gayla Pederson is the author of both. Their English titles are “Where do berries come from?” and “How is the weather?”
The e-book project is an Alutiiq Museum initiative with funding from the Afognak Native Corporation, the Administration for Native Americans, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
