The American Ladino League website has a new space: el Kanton de Kriaturas, the Kids’ Corner!
In ALL co-director Bryan Kirschen’s words, the Kids’ Corner will serve as “un espasio para kriaturas para krear, meldar, i ambezarsen ladino” – a space for kids to create, read, and learn Ladino.
Ladino transmission between generations is one of our central goals at the American Ladino League. Instilling a love for Ladino and knowledge of the language will be critical for its survival in the future. Our organization is rolling out the Kanton de Kriaturas now as the first step in developing high-quality Ladino resources and programming for kids and families.
What better way to inaugurate this new space on our website than to welcome an original short story by the granddaughter of one of our friends and collaborators, Miriam Sherman! Miriam is a regular participant in the ALL Ladino Lounge as well as a winner of the 2025 Konkurso de Kompozision. Her granddaughter Victoria created Los kuatros Amigos Konosen a ‘Nuve’, The Four Friends Meet Cloud.
The illustrated story is now available to read in bilingual presentation at this link.
Kirschen says, “Children are the future of Ladino. In recent years, we have seen a resurgence of interest, opportunity, and collaboration among speakers and learners of the language, from young adults to nonagenarians. The next step is to ensure that children are part of this growing community. Our kanton de kriaturas seeks to encourage exploration and creativity among children who are learning, using, and creating in Ladino.”
Kol akavod to Victoria for writing her very own Ladino kuento (story). It is sure to inspire other kids out there to write, draw, sing, or chat in Ladino.
Do you have a kid who likes to get creative with Ladino? Reach out to our team to be considered for publication on el Kanton de Kriaturas!