The beloved Maurice Sendak classic, Where the Wild Things Are, can now be read in Mayan. The 1963 children’s book was translated by Hilario Chi Canul for Kalandraka under the title Te’ tu’ux ku kajtal le wa ayo’obo. The book was released on Aug. 9, in conjunction with the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Maya has lost speakers over the last few decades because of intergenerational silencing by families. According to Milenio, Sendak’s family says the author and illustrator would be proud to have his book translated into Mayan.
Maybe, like Quechua, we’ll see more about people trying to protect the Mayan language. Earlier this month, it was revealed that a Spanish-Mayan version of Mexico’s constitution was ready after years of working on the translation.