Carmel Borg: Id-Dar Ta’ Faċċata (The House facing US)
A children’s picture book.Illustrated by Steve Bonello. Published by Merlin Publishers.
An education professor at the University of Malta has turned to writing a children’s book in order to reach out beyond the world of academia and help the younger generation think about overdevelopment and stop “the adoration of ugliness”.
Id-Dar ta’ Faċċata is the story of Pawlu, who wakes up one morning to the wrecking sound of demolition. The house opposite that of his family is being razed to the ground to make way for a towering block of flats, which blocks his skyline and the view of Mdina and the Grand Harbour with it.
What ensues is a trip down memory lane: Pawlu remembers the adventures he had in that house and the surrounding fields and greenery – now gone forever. And mulling the past makes him reflect on the future – does he want the view of cranes and concrete from his window?
Prof. Borg found himself writing Pawlu’s story when a row of houses in his street was demolished. It was, as he described it, “the ultimate provocation”.
“Our country’s streetscapes and landscapes are being altered beyond recognition… it’s nothing but the process of adoration of ugliness,” he said.
Why did he feel the need to reach out for children?
“The academic papers and books I have written over the years have their limits in terms of reaching out to people.
“Children’s literature gives me an opportunity to start conversations with primary-level students, on matters that impact their present and future.”
Specifically written to challenge and question that which has become normal, Id-Dar ta’ Faċċata aims to encourage “democratic citizenship” in children. The author hopes it will empower young readers to view the world around them critically, to visualise a better place and to commit themselves “to collective action”.
Id-Dar ta’ Faċċata is brought to life by The Sunday Times of Malta cartoonist Steve Bonello, a sharp observer of life. His illustrations complement Prof. Borg’s storyline, but also stand on their own as thought provokers.
Ideally, children aged seven and over will read Id-Dar ta’ Faċċata with a grown-up who is socially and ecologically aware who guide them to realise that the norm can be challenged and that the world is always open to different possibilities. In fact, the book comes with a series of questions at the end as a suggestion to parents and teachers to initiate the critical conversation and get children to think.
When they are slightly older, children will enjoy reading the book by themselves and appreciate it as a glimmer of hope that will help the fight against ugliness.
This is another groundbreaking picture book for Merlin Publishers. It is the first time in Malta that overdevelopment, and all the adverse side issues it brings with it, is tackled in a locally published children’s book.
Merlin Publishers director Chris Gruppetta has no qualms on publishing a book on a topical national issue: “Why not? Children are not oblivious to the skyline ofcranes around us. Picture books are the perfect medium to tackle highly-charged issues and help children be critical of the world around them.”
“At Merlin Publishers we believe this is book that can change the way the new generation will think,” he said.