Fra Mudest – a jolly friar who always ends up in a pickle – is a household name in children’s literature and many a generation has grown up laughing out loud at the antics of the friar.

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Penned by Charles Casha, they were first published as magazine short stories in 1967, then four years later Fra Mudest was published as a book collection, the first ever Maltese children’s book to be published in Malta.

Now, the chubby friar has been given a makeover, making him accessible to readers as young as seven years of age. A new Merlin Publishers series will see Fra Mudest star in shorter stories which have been simplified by the author. Each book contains one short story, with a contained amount of text making it the perfect length for young children just developing the confidence to read their first ‘proper’ book.

The friar has also been given a facelift with new illustrations by Deandra Scicluna, who kept the retro ambience of the 1970s period when Fra Mudest was written, but at the same time giving the characters a fresh look.

Fra Mudest u l-Figolla tal-Pirjol is the first book in the series and is printed in a sizeable and easier-to-read font on matt, yellow paper, specifically aimed at helping children with reading difficulties.

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

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