April 2007
bi:libri
Many children here in Munich have the privilege of being raised bilingual. For their parents, however, ensuring literacy across languages can be a significant challenge. Local publishing house bi:libri has created a variety of multilingual books for bilingual children (and their parents). Owners Kerstin Schlieker (German) and Kristy Koth (American) draw on doctorates in literary studies and the first-hand experience of raising bilingual children to produce magical stories. In Arthur and Anthony/Arthur und Anton, a raven raised as a rat struggles to belong. A little girl’s stuffed lamb spends a magical night in an amusement park in Journey to the Magic World/Reise in die Zauberwelt. The books also incorporate multimedia to immerse children in an enjoyable learning experience: paper dolls, CDs with multilingual readings of the books, and children’s songs. These books and others are available at local bookstores or through
their website.
