Free Jèrriais picture book for all Reception students

26 September 2022

​Every child starting Reception will receive a Jèrriais translation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s classic picture book Monkey Puzzle.

The Jèrriais Teaching Service is offering over 1000 copies of D’vinnâle dé Marmoûset 

(Monkey Puzzle) to encourage young readers to take an interest in Jersey’s native 

language. This follows giveaways of J’allons à la chasse à l’ourse (We’re Going on a 

Bear Hunt), Lé Gruffalo (The Gruffalo) and most recently La P’tite Gruffalinne (The 

Gruffalo’s Child).

This year, the launch of D’vinnâle dé Marmoûset (Monkey Puzzle) has been timed to 

coincide with the Jersey Festival of Words. On Sunday 25 September, families can 

attend free readings of the book at Jersey Zoo between 11am and 3pm.

There is no charge to take part, but normal Zoo admission fees apply.

All the translated children’s books will be available to purchase from the bookshop at 

Société Jersiaise (behind Jersey Museum). The Jèrriais Teaching Service will also be 

running stalls at La Faîs’sie d’Nièr Beurre at The Elms and La Faîs’sie d’Cidre at 

Hamptonne in October, and at La Fête dé Noué in The Royal Square in December.

Ben Spink, Head of the Jèrriais Teaching Service and translator of the book, said:

“This is the fifth picture book we have translated into Jèrriais and I’m thrilled that, once 

again, we can give it away for free to reception children. Making the story rhyme 

whilst retaining the meaning was a challenge but it was a lot of fun to translate. I hope 

it will inspire children to learn Jèrriais and perhaps pique the interest of parents in the 

process.”

Minister for Children and Education, Deputy Inna Gardiner, said: “Jèrriais is a vital 

part of our Island identity, so I’m delighted that our youngest learners will have access 

to this excellent picture book. We must encourage our schoolchildren to learn 

Jersey’s native language so that it may endure for generations to come.”