{by Sonia Kermen}
Before being an author of bilingual children’s books, I a mom.
I was born in France–like my two first children Bélinda, 24 years old and Emilian 20 years old. When we arrived in the United States in 2008, my two children and I had to face the joys and challenges of a bilingual and bicultural life. I was inspired in 2009 to write books that would break down bilingual language barriers and better understand others upon the birth of my third child, Enzo.
My children urged me to open a door that I did not know with the word “bilingual.”
My daughter was 10 when we arrived in the States, she could not speak a word of English. We had to make him repeat his sixth grade.
She had the courage to accept the challenge; to read an English book every week, underlining each misunderstood word. She was continuing to read French books, and as not to forget his mother tongue.
In eighth grade, she surprised us by finishing school with honors in English. After only three years in the country! I have always spoken French to my children, like any expatriate, we want to safeguard our roots and our culture. My children learned English with school, their teacher’s patience, sports-related activities, books, TV, radio, and friends.
My children are open to the world of others without prejudice. They easily understand the children of expatriates and seek to help them. Being bilingual is an opportunity for each of our children, children, in my opinion, are more open-minded, and they easily learn different languages.
My first books were written in 2009 and The Adventures of Enzo are a series of 12 bilingual French books translated into English or French and translated into Spanish by teachers. They have helped in learning new languages and teaching children life lessons with simplicity.
With The Adventures of Enzo series, children discovered the simple values – courtesy, respect, sharing, in my opinion, essential to actualize the authenticity that seems easily forgotten in our modern world, and the richness of learning a new language.
As a toddler’s teacher, I discovered the curiosity of parents of my bilingual world, of my language French, and they very quickly accepted my cultural difference and my teaching to their child my language with games of cards, images, and songs. Since the pandemic, I have found myself at home like many parents. I picked up my pen again after a few years.
My new book “Enzo The Little Adventurer” is a great way to access a language with children’s imaginations, education, and the world of animals. Young readers will recognize themselves in Enzo. They will enjoy her adventures because I think they reflect their feelings and their way of being.
Children will follow a whimsical and imaginative boy named Enzo, Irish baby as he discovers the world of the zoo, educative under the watchful eye of his lucky star. The simple pictures and vivid colors of Enzo’s world will naturally attract children and quickly capture their attention. They will help children to focus on the story and to understand it more easily. Each story ends with a phrase that sums up the story.
Each of Enzo’s adventures allows children to discover the French language while enriching the vocabulary of their mother tongue English. My daughter translated the French language into English and the illustrations are by my friend Kedsunee.
We hope you enjoy the Adventures of Enzo!
About The Author
The author, Sonia Kermen, wrote French and English/French and Spanish bilingual book 12 series “Les Aventures d´Enzo / The Adventures of Enzo” in 2012 under the name Sonia Colasse available on Amazon. After several years as a blog coordinator, creating slogans, presentation videos, a model of various marketing campaigns and teacher, Sonia Kermen (a writer since the age of nine years old) has devoted herself to her passion for the bilingual children’s book Enzo the Little Adventurer.
Sonia is also the author of the bilingual series Les aventures d’Enzo/The Adventures of Enzo with the name of Sonia Colasse.
Connect with Sonia:
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