With growing interest in the language of ancient Rome, teachers are
using translations of the popular children's books to help students learn
By Lisa Black
Tribune staff reporter
October 24, 2003
A new translation of the Dr. Seuss book "Green Eggs and
Ham" has found its way into Latin classrooms, offering students a fresh
look at a language that is anything but dead.
As more students take Latin courses to beef up their language skills and
test scores, the introduction of "Virent Ova! Viret Perna!!"--or "Green
Eggs and Ham"--has given teachers an alternative to classic works such as
Virgil's "The Aeneid."
The book still has all the familiar whimsical creatures
and colorful rhymes, but it is written in the language of Cicero.
"Part of our mission is to popularize Latin," said Marie Bolchazy, a
co-owner of the company that published the book. "What better way to do
it?"
Wauconda-based Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers recently released the book,
the latest in a series that began in 1999 with "Quomodo Invidiosulus
Nomine Grinchus Christi Natalem Abrogaverit" or "The Grinch That Stole
Christmas."
"What's nice about Dr. Seuss is we're dealing with material students are
already familiar with, so they can pick it up and read it without the
intellectual level needed to read Virgil," said Thomas Sienkewicz, a
classics professor at Monmouth College, about 70 miles west of Peoria.
Sienkewicz is among a handful of Latin teachers nationwide who are using
the Seuss books in their classrooms to show students how the language
continues to evolve, even though it is rarely spoken outside of academic
or religious settings.
From elementary schools through colleges, students find the Latin
children's books a more difficult read than the usual Seuss. But the books
never fail to impress and entertain, teachers say.
"It's not intimidating, because it's a children's book and it's fun to
use," said Jennifer Mitten, a Latin teacher at Aurora Catholic High
School.
Bolchazy, who with her husband specializes in publishing classical books,
worked with two university professors to produce the Latin Seuss books.
The Latin version of the Grinch and "Cattus Petasatus," or "The Cat in the
Hat," together have sold more than 65,000 copies.
The new "Green Eggs and Ham" book sold 5,000 copies immediately, prompting
Bolchazy to order 5,000 more.
Her efforts dovetail with growing interest in Latin across the country,
with schools seeing an increase in enrollment in classes at all levels,
experts said.
The National Latin Exam, given to students from elementary grades through
college, reported testing 36,000 students in 1982, the first year numbers
were collected. In March, 140,000 students took the exam, said Joseph
Clement of Software Design in Springfield, Va., who tracks the data for
the National Latin Exam organization. Experts said they believe more
students are taking Latin because they recognize it can help them improve
their English skills and their college entrance exams.
"Latin gives you an edge in English, and so many professions have to do
with good writing and spelling," said Virginia Anderson, who teaches Latin
in Barrington's two middle schools. She displays the Seuss books for
students to read at their leisure, but she said their Latin is above the
level of most 6th graders.
"A lot of my friends are taking [Latin]," said Max Deevy, 12, of
Barrington, who goes by the Latin name "Scipio" in Anderson's class.
"Right now, it is helping me at reading, because almost all English words
come from Latin."
At Oak Park-River Forest High School, administrators brought a Latin
teacher out of retirement two years ago to accommodate a growing number of
Latin students, said the school's other Latin teacher, James Chochola. The
number of Latin students has grown about 25 percent--to 109 now
enrolled--since 1998, he said.
Chochola also has used the Latin Seuss books, demonstrating to students
how they differ in complexity and poetic meter from the epic Aeneid.
The Latin Seuss books are more comparable to medieval drinking songs, he
said.
"Dr. Seuss has words that aren't even words in English," Chochola said.
"They might have words with different noises and sounds."
Greg Ver Halen, 14, of River Forest, said he took Latin because he hopes
to travel throughout Europe someday and wants to be prepared to learn the
languages. He also enjoys stumping his friends who don't take Latin,
throwing phrases at them in the language.
"They'll say, `Are you making fun of me?' They're thrown off completely,"
Ver Halen said.
Terence Tunberg, professor of Latin at the University of Kentucky, who
translates the Dr. Seuss books into Latin, said he does not translate each
word literally, because the idioms would not make sense or even be funny.
So he has spent hours finding Latin words that fit Dr. Seuss' meaning that
also rhyme and contain the same cheerful eight-syllable lines. For
instance, he calls the Grinch "Invidiosulus" in Latin, which can be
translated as "the little jealous one" or "the envious little wretch."
"It takes the process of invention, that's for sure," Tunberg said.
Searching Chicagotribune.com archives back to 1985
is cheaper and easier than ever. New prices for multiple articles can
bring your cost as low as 30 cents an article:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/archives
With growing interest in the language of ancient Rome, teachers are
using translations of the popular children's books to help students learn
Advertisement
By Lisa Black
Tribune staff reporter
October 24, 2003
A new translation of the Dr. Seuss book "Green Eggs and
Ham" has found its way into Latin classrooms, offering students a fresh
look at a language that is anything but dead.
As more students take Latin courses to beef up their language skills and
test scores, the introduction of "Virent Ova! Viret Perna!!"--or "Green
Eggs and Ham"--has given teachers an alternative to classic works such as
Virgil's "The Aeneid."
The book still has all the familiar whimsical creatures
and colorful rhymes, but it is written in the language of Cicero.
"Part of our mission is to popularize Latin," said Marie Bolchazy, a
co-owner of the company that published the book. "What better way to do
it?"
Wauconda-based Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers recently released the book,
the latest in a series that began in 1999 with "Quomodo Invidiosulus
Nomine Grinchus Christi Natalem Abrogaverit" or "The Grinch That Stole
Christmas."
"What's nice about Dr. Seuss is we're dealing with material students are
already familiar with, so they can pick it up and read it without the
intellectual level needed to read Virgil," said Thomas Sienkewicz, a
classics professor at Monmouth College, about 70 miles west of Peoria.
Sienkewicz is among a handful of Latin teachers nationwide who are using
the Seuss books in their classrooms to show students how the language
continues to evolve, even though it is rarely spoken outside of academic
or religious settings.
From elementary schools through colleges, students find the Latin
children's books a more difficult read than the usual Seuss. But the books
never fail to impress and entertain, teachers say.
"It's not intimidating, because it's a children's book and it's fun to
use," said Jennifer Mitten, a Latin teacher at Aurora Catholic High
School.
Bolchazy, who with her husband specializes in publishing classical books,
worked with two university professors to produce the Latin Seuss books.
The Latin version of the Grinch and "Cattus Petasatus," or "The Cat in the
Hat," together have sold more than 65,000 copies.
The new "Green Eggs and Ham" book sold 5,000 copies immediately, prompting
Bolchazy to order 5,000 more.
Her efforts dovetail with growing interest in Latin across the country,
with schools seeing an increase in enrollment in classes at all levels,
experts said.
The National Latin Exam, given to students from elementary grades through
college, reported testing 36,000 students in 1982, the first year numbers
were collected. In March, 140,000 students took the exam, said Joseph
Clement of Software Design in Springfield, Va., who tracks the data for
the National Latin Exam organization. Experts said they believe more
students are taking Latin because they recognize it can help them improve
their English skills and their college entrance exams.
"Latin gives you an edge in English, and so many professions have to do
with good writing and spelling," said Virginia Anderson, who teaches Latin
in Barrington's two middle schools. She displays the Seuss books for
students to read at their leisure, but she said their Latin is above the
level of most 6th graders.
"A lot of my friends are taking [Latin]," said Max Deevy, 12, of
Barrington, who goes by the Latin name "Scipio" in Anderson's class.
"Right now, it is helping me at reading, because almost all English words
come from Latin."
At Oak Park-River Forest High School, administrators brought a Latin
teacher out of retirement two years ago to accommodate a growing number of
Latin students, said the school's other Latin teacher, James Chochola. The
number of Latin students has grown about 25 percent--to 109 now
enrolled--since 1998, he said.
Chochola also has used the Latin Seuss books, demonstrating to students
how they differ in complexity and poetic meter from the epic Aeneid.
The Latin Seuss books are more comparable to medieval drinking songs, he
said.
"Dr. Seuss has words that aren't even words in English," Chochola said.
"They might have words with different noises and sounds."
Greg Ver Halen, 14, of River Forest, said he took Latin because he hopes
to travel throughout Europe someday and wants to be prepared to learn the
languages. He also enjoys stumping his friends who don't take Latin,
throwing phrases at them in the language.
"They'll say, `Are you making fun of me?' They're thrown off completely,"
Ver Halen said.
Terence Tunberg, professor of Latin at the University of Kentucky, who
translates the Dr. Seuss books into Latin, said he does not translate each
word literally, because the idioms would not make sense or even be funny.
So he has spent hours finding Latin words that fit Dr. Seuss' meaning that
also rhyme and contain the same cheerful eight-syllable lines. For
instance, he calls the Grinch "Invidiosulus" in Latin, which can be
translated as "the little jealous one" or "the envious little wretch."
"It takes the process of invention, that's for sure," Tunberg said.
Searching Chicagotribune.com archives back to 1985
is cheaper and easier than ever. New prices for multiple articles can
bring your cost as low as 30 cents an article:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/archives
