Sharing Polish Culture with Maciek's class

As published in the Polish Heritage Society's December Newsletter.


Community Outreach
Third Graders introduced to Polish-born Author and Illustrator Janina Domańska.

On December 13, 2008, I was invited to share Polish Culture with my son Maciek and his third grade classmates at Denmark Elementary School. His teacher, Marie Michel allowed me to share Bajka (bye-kah) – fairy tales and Polish crafts.

I shared books from the Polish born author Janina Domańska (1913 - 1995.) Domańska attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Poland. She moved to the United States in 1952. Domańska is best known for her self-illustrated children's books. She won Caldecott Honors for her book If All the Seas Were One Sea in 1971. 1 She illustrated more than forty

The class was recognizing Maciek’s one-year anniversary of American Citizenship. My husband Tim and I brought home our three adoptive children Emma, Maciek and Michal, from Poland on December 13, 2007.

I found Domańska’s King Krakus and the Dragon at the Denmark site of the Brown County Library. I was delighted to see the Polish fairy tale and sought to buy as many of Domańska’s books that I might find. With the help of Amazon.com, I quickly acquired five titles from Domańska, mostly used, in good shape and reasonably priced.

Maciek’s class was treated to King Krakus and The Dragon, Din Dan Don It’s Christmas, Marilka, and The Best of the Bargain. I read this and did my best to capture the enchantment and depth in these stories.

On our trip in 2007, I purchased children’s DVDs. One was of Polish Baika that included 13 tales from TVP (Polish Public Television.) We watched The Golden Water or Zywa woda.

This tale follows a family whose mother has become ill. The local Herbal Healer Woman explains to her three sons, that Golden Water must be brought down from the spring atop the mountain to cure their mother. But there are dangers and distractions a long the path to the top and the Healer gives them strict instructions about how to proceed. The oldest brother decides to go fetch the healing water. But he is distracted and trapped. The Healer is alerted to his fate by a bell the rings when there is danger. The middle brother takes on the duty and is also trapped.

The youngest brother realizes he must attempt the challenge but is determined to follow the words of the Healer. She sends him with the bell to alert him of an impending trap. He proceeds with caution and nearly falls for the trap other have fallen for, but he is reminded by the bell to stay the course despite the harsh journey. He reaches the summit and finds the spring with the Golden Water. A jug appears and he fills to bring to his mother. But on the way down the mountain, he passes those who were trapped. He sprinkles them with the Golden Water. They become free of their traps. When he arrives home, his generosity leaves him with little water left, but just a sprinkle is needed to restore his mother to health. She wakes and asks her sons to bring firewood in to heat the stove for cooking. They are all grateful for the returned health of their mother and for the perseverance of their youngest brother.

I was also able to share Polish cultural objects with the class. I brought woolen slippers - kapcie (cup-CHAY), carved wood boxes, painted wood eggs, woven straw ornaments, children’s non-fiction books of Polish Culture, and a Polish soccer piłka nożna (pihwa-KAH nosz-NAH) scarf. I also provided simple wycinanki that the class used to decorate their window for Christmas. I found some simple designs with a search on the Internet.

I was pleased to share some cultural heritage with Maciek’s class. They were attentive and interested, asking questions and wanting to know more.

Please contact me, if you are a teacher or group organizer and would like a presentation of such as this. This is part of the mission of the Polish Heritage Society. You may reach me at perryworth@gmail.com or contact the Polish Heritage Society.








King Krakus and the Dragon 1979, Din Dan Don It’s Christmas 1975, Marilka 1970, and The Best of the Bargain 1977.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
other information found online



Janina Domanska; Children's-Book Author, 82

Published: February 15, 1995

Janina Domanska, an author and illustrator of children's books, died on Feb. 2 at Naples Community Hospital in Naples, Fla. She was 82 and lived in New Fairfield, Conn.

She had suffered a stroke recently, said her stepson Robert Nossen.

Ms. Domanska was born in Warsaw and studied at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts. She came to the United States in 1952 and worked in New York City as a textile designer and freelance artist before turning to creating picture books for children.

She wrote, adapted or translated 22 books, each accompanied by her own illustrations, which frequently evoked Polish folk art and drew upon folk tales from her childhood. She also illustrated 23 books by other authors. Among her best-known books are "If All the Seas Were One" (1971), "King Krakus and the Dragon" (1979), "Busy Monday Morning" (1985) and "A Was an Angler" (1991).

In addition to her stepson Robert, of Naples, she is survived by her husband, Ernest Nossen; another stepson, Edward Nossen of Cherry Hill, N.J., and five stepgrandchildren.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE4D71E38F936A25751C0A963958260

Janina Domańska (1913 - 1995) was an award winning Polish artist, author and illustrator.

Domańska attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Poland. She moved to the United States in 1952, where she later married writer Jerzy Laskowski. Domańska is best known for her self-illustrated children's books. She won Caldecott Honors for her book If All the Seas Were One Sea in 1971.

Some critics have been less approving; Josh Gartland commented that ' If all the Seas Were One Sea is a horrible book that delights in man's destruction of his environment and therefore conveys a very negative message to the children at which it is aimed.'