Front Cover
Children's Book age 0-6 years
Leta and the Gem of the Sea,
By Becky Bateson, 2021
Leta is an Archaeologist from Chiapas Mexico.
Whilst on a dig at a Mayan temple site, Leta discovers something unusual...
Leta examines the unusual object...it's an ocarina, made of clay. She sketches the design and makes notes before she turns in for the night.
Leta suddenly wakes up to see that the ocarina was glowing and had broken open. She noticed strange markings down the side and a rolled up scroll inside.
Leta unrolled the parchment to reveal an ancient Mayan Map.
Leta makes notes in her journal and translates the glyphs. It appears to be a treasure map.
Leta sets of early the next morning in seach of adventure...
She discovers a cave opening inside a cenote. What could be inside?
Leta meets a strange creature who can not speak...
Leat writes her name in glyphs in the sand...to her amazement, the creature does the same
The two new friends exchange gifts and Leta promises to keep the creatures secret and to protect them at all costs.
As soon as Leta arrives back at base, she makes notes in her journal explaining her amazing journey.
Leta and the Gem of the Sea, By Becky Bateson, is a 28 page children's book ages, 0-6 years. Created for my FMP (Final Major Project) to promote curiosity, communication, understanding, and possibility in both the child and care providers from an early age. I wanted to make a book that looks past the every day, past the borders of the western world into the greater world beyond. We live in an intriguing and complex time, which, at times, can be confusing. Knowledge is easier to come by in the age of the internet, however, it can be a minefield of misinformation. But, with the right tools from an early age, we can see past the minefield and unlock the truth we are looking for.
I chose to focus on only two characters in this version of the book for the purposes of their interaction. I wanted to explore communication barriers. My dissertation entitled 'What Truths Are Found Behind Society's Creation of Ocean Mythology?' took me on an intriguing historical journey, back to a time where human's communicated through pictorial imagry. In Ancient Mesopotamia, language was no barrier. People completed trades and live side by side, using glyphs and various imagery instead of the spoken word. Today, we use memes and gifs instead of the spoken word to convey feelings, emotions, and situations. In this respect, we are breaking down communication barriers. However, there are still barriers of knowledge and a lack of understanding between a great many of our world's beautiful and unique cultures and societies. If we can instill find a way around these barriers the possibilities for humanity are endless. Imagine a world in which you could communicate with every language and understand every culture, we could work together in harmony.
Book Synopsis:
Meet Leta, an archaeologist who travels the world seeking knowledge and adventure. In this story, we journey with Leta to a Mayan temple in Mexico, where a special discovery awaits...
