Illustrator Tess Verheij and Loekie Morales (right) cutting the Magical Wedding Cake in Philipsburg Jubilee Library during the book launch in 2012.
PHILIPSBURG--Author Loekie Morales was asked by the Aruban Department of Education to translate her book The Magic Wedding Cake into Papiamentu, the Aruban native language, and to donate the books to all Aruban schools for reading purposes.
The book with the magical story was published in 2012 in four languages by Beyond Writing Foundation (BWF) in two bilingual versions: English-Spanish as The Magic Wedding Cake/La Mágica Tarta Nupcial, and the Dutch-Papiamentu version as De Magische Bruidstaart/E Bolo di Batrei Mágiko.
The book was mainly subsidised back then by the Antillean Co-Financing Organisation AMFO and Prins Bernhard Cultural Fund and was donated by BWF to all primary schools in St. Maarten, Curaçao, Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius for comprehensive reading.
The story is about a little girl going in a time machine in that magical building. While there, she could witness several events from the past, since the discovering of her Island. The book was an ode to all the monuments in the world, especially to “the Wedding Cake,” the famous monument (former National Archive building) located at the Scharlooweg in Willemstad, Curaçao.
The story was dedicated to everyone who loves monuments, and had great appreciation for history, art and culture. The Aruban Department of Education will translate and publish the Papiamentu version of the book and all students of Aruban schools will get Loekie Morales’ spiritual child to read in the upcoming years.
“It is a great honour for me, to have my book translated in Papiamentu and being read by so many more children within the Dutch Caribbean,” said Morales.
The department wants to publish Tess Verheij’s same illustrations with the story. Morales and Verheij have given their approval to the department to publish the Papiamentu version.
