Earlier this year, Merlin Publishers decided to introduce the 1960s iconic Fra Mudest character to the new generation of children, and the result went beyond their expectations: the chubby friar proved to be equally as popular with today’s kids as he was with their parents. 

Fra Mudest u l-Figolla tal-Pirjol, the first book in a series was a total bestseller. With its simplified and much shorter text, it made the chubby friar accessible to readers as young as seven years of age. And parents who grew up laughing out loud at the antics of the friar were excited to introduce their favourite childhood book character, created by author Charles Casha, to their children.

Looking jollier and more colourful thanks to the makeover by illustrator Deandra Scicluna, children embraced the new abridged and easier version of Fra Mudest. So much so that the success of Fra Mudest u l-Figolla tal-Pirjol is now being followed by another short book: Fra Mudest u ċ-Ċagħaq – a story from the original book which has been specifically simplified by the author for primary school-age children. 

This time round, Fra Mudest gets embroiled in a pickle when trying to understand the convent cook’s obsession with pebbles. And in a hilarious turn of events, Fra Mudest ends up having  to accept everyone, warts and all.

Fra Mudest was the first ever Maltese children’s book to be published in Malta, back  in 1971, and for decades it never budged from the bestseller lists.

The new series is printed in a sizeable and easier-to-read font on matt, yellow paper, specifically aimed at helping children with dyslexia. Each book contains one short story, with a contained amount of text, making it the perfect length for young children to read their first ‘proper’ book.

Fra Mudest u ċ-Ċagħaq and Fra Mudest u l-Figolla tal-Pirjol are available from all leading bookshops or directly online, with free postage to Malta and Gozo addresses, from merlinpublishers.com.