This is the Earth Pledge.

Janina Lamb made this poster of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Earth by Janina Lamb and Joe Jenkins that Amelia Feeney translated into Spanish in Book Two of the Rocket McGee Series, Rocket McGee: Back in Trouble!

Demos lealtad a la tierra y a toda la vida que soporta, un planeta en nuestro cuidado, irreemplazable, con sustento y respeto para todos.

Amelia worked out that translation for mosaic murals that will grace the central atria of the Live and Learn Centers she’s helping build in Central America – the “Centros de Salud y Ciencia”.

Roan Reedling, author of the Rocket McGee Sci-Fi book series for tweens, young teens, and other kids of all ages, is the proud owner of one of these posters from Janina Lamb’s studio. You can find one at the Lamb & Lion Studio.

 

Amelia did take a little license in her translation… Her translation actually started out like this:

– Copyrighted Material from Rocket McGee: Back in Trouble! –

Dad lealtad a la tierra y a toda la vida que soporta, un planeta en nuestro cuidado, irreemplazable, con sustento y respeto para todos.

“You’re right,” he said, with an admiring smile, “it’s beautiful.” [that’s 13-year-old Chad talking to 13-year-old Amelia. They’re sitting crosslegged on the floor, side-by-side in front of the mural, while Amelia guides the nanobots that form the wall to organize into the Pledge, using the virtual console hovering over her lap.]

He caught her, as if with long practice, when she fell against him and he hugged her warmly, resting the bridge of his nose on the side of her head.

“It’s not quite a pledge anymore or it would start with Daré, I guess. But I like it as an exhortation…”

“Yup! No pledge or promise… Just do it!”

He chuckled, “A teensy bit bossy, perhaps…”

“Mmmm,” she nodded, solemnly pensive. Then she tapped on the console some more and the word Dad morphed to Demos.

“I like it even better: Let us give… Still imperative, still an exhortation, but a little more prayerful.” He answered her eyes again, “Yes, I like it a lot! It truly is beautiful.”