Our English Books, information + drawings by children; author Marie Wijk; Wijk & Wijk Publishers

Wijk & Wijk Publishers

The Netherlands www.wijkenwijk.nl

Marie Wijk

111

Education
Marie Wijk's career started in education. First in special education for mentally challenged children. Later on she worked on primary schools in the inner city of Arnhem, a provincial capital in the east of the Netherlands. Since 1978 she got involved in the education of migrant workers' children who were then allowed to immigrate into The Netherlands and thus rejoin their fathers.
Later on Marie Wijk was asked to start up special classes to prepare children just arriving from Turkey for Dutch education. In 1982 she wrote a manual about teaching methods for Turkish children in The Netherlands, published by Bekadidact Publishers.

Building Bridges
Marie Wijk was instantly emotionally involved. How does it feel to be suddenly confronted with a totally different culture, a totally different world? How do others react, at school, in the neighbourhood? What can be done to prevent or solve problems? How to build bridges?
One of her answers was: her picture books. Gradually she discovered that drawing is a world language and that (children's) drawings open many hearts among young and old. She used drawings to foster understanding for her Turkish pupils. But soon she realized that to build bridges both sides have to reach out. This is how the succesful intercultural picture book A Child's-eye View - series was born. Up till now volumes about Turkey, The Netherlands, Marocco and the Dutch Antilles were published, often in several translations.

Op weg naar de t.v. studio voor het kinderprogramma Tante Irma (Ned. Antillen)

Distribution all over the world
Special was the acquisition for of several thousands of copies of The Netherlands Antilles... A Child's-eye View in English and Papiamentu editions for distribution on Dutch Antillian schools. In that way they also play a role in the cultural exchange between the islands of the Dutch Antilles. Fundasion Material pa Skol (a foundation that develops educational programs for the Antilles} even developed an educational method based on this book.
Another milestone was the acquisition of 2000 copies of The Netherlands... A Child's-eye View by Shell. They distributed these books all over the world.

Her own publisher's
In 2001 Marie Wijk and her son Johan started their own publisher's: Wijk & Wijk. Wijk & Wijk published Marie's book Refugees... tell their story (Dutch version) in November 2001. The interest was overwhelming. Within a month a second edition was printed. In 2004 an English translation and a third edition were published.
Also in 2001 Dutchmen... all of them different (Dutch version) was published for the first time. It is a compilation of drawings from the A Child's-eye View series, supplemented with drawings of Surinam and Chinese children. This book has also sold out and been reprinted. In 2004, the book The Netherlands... A Child's-eye View was reprinted in a Dutch and English version. All the same time a French translation was published for the first time.

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Wijk & Wijk Publishers The Netherlands www.wijkenwijk.nl
Marie Wijk
	111	Education Marie Wijk's career started in education. First in special education for mentally challenged children. Later on she worked on primary schools in the inner city of Arnhem, a provincial capital in the east of the Netherlands. Since 1978 she got involved in the education of migrant workers' children who were then allowed to immigrate into The Netherlands and thus rejoin their fathers. Later on Marie Wijk was asked to start up special classes to prepare children just arriving from Turkey for Dutch education. In 1982 she wrote a manual about teaching methods for Turkish children in The Netherlands, published by Bekadidact Publishers. Building Bridges Marie Wijk was instantly emotionally involved. How does it feel to be suddenly confronted with a totally different culture, a totally different world? How do others react, at school, in the neighbourhood? What can be done to prevent or solve problems? How to build bridges? One of her answers was: her picture books. Gradually she discovered that drawing is a world language and that (children's) drawings open many hearts among young and old. She used drawings to foster understanding for her Turkish pupils. But soon she realized that to build bridges both sides have to reach out. This is how the succesful intercultural picture book A Child's-eye View - series was born. Up till now volumes about Turkey, The Netherlands, Marocco and the Dutch Antilles were published, often in several translations.
Op weg naar de t.v. studio voor het kinderprogramma Tante Irma (Ned. Antillen)		Distribution all over the world Special was the acquisition for of several thousands of copies of The Netherlands Antilles... A Child's-eye View in English and Papiamentu editions for distribution on Dutch Antillian schools. In that way they also play a role in the cultural exchange between the islands of the Dutch Antilles. Fundasion Material pa Skol (a foundation that develops educational programs for the Antilles} even developed an educational method based on this book. Another milestone was the acquisition of 2000 copies of The Netherlands... A Child's-eye View by Shell. They distributed these books all over the world. Her own publisher's In 2001 Marie Wijk and her son Johan started their own publisher's: Wijk & Wijk. Wijk & Wijk published Marie's book Refugees... tell their story (Dutch version) in November 2001. The interest was overwhelming. Within a month a second edition was printed. In 2004 an English translation and a third edition were published. Also in 2001 Dutchmen... all of them different (Dutch version) was published for the first time. It is a compilation of drawings from the A Child's-eye View series, supplemented with drawings of Surinam and Chinese children. This book has also sold out and been reprinted. In 2004, the book The Netherlands... A Child's-eye View was reprinted in a Dutch and English version. All the same time a French translation was published for the first time.
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