'Trid Niktbu Storja Flimkien?'
Author: Trevor Żahra
Illustrations: Nadine Debattista Briffa
Publisher: Merlin Publishers / 2024
Pages: 48
You've chosen your composition title. The pen is already in your hand. Now what? Where do you begin? What will you write?
For those children who find themselves daunted by this prospect, we have exciting news! The master storyteller, none other than Trevor Żahra, has taken charge and set out to share his expertise and experience with young writers, in his latest publication Trid Niktbu Storja Flimkien? just released by Merlin Publishers.
Trid Niktbu Storja Flimkien? takes the form of an attractive workbook, designed to inspire children to generate ideas and craft them into stories. Each section of the book centres around a specific theme, and in a structured way Żahra offers a series of prompts and ideas to spark children's imagination, encouraging them to enjoy planning and writing a delightful story on the blank lined pages provided.
While the book presentation is engaging and easy to follow, it gently nudges children towards contemplating key elements of creative writing, including character development, plot, descriptive writing, and narrative perspective.
Trevor Żahra needs no introduction. He is a beloved writer and illustrator whose characters and stories have been enchanting and inspiring generations since the 1970s. Over the course of his extraordinary career, he has authored and illustrated over 130 books of all types, across all genres and age groups. He has no less than 18 National Book Prizes to his name, and several of his books have been translated and published in other languages and countries. Credentials of a master storyteller indeed!
Asked about the inspiration behind this book, Żahra explains, "When I am invited to speak to children in schools, they often ask me, 'Have you ever dreamt a story and written it down as soon as you woke up?' To which I reply, 'I wish! If only I could wake up and find a complete story waiting for me, neatly wrapped on my bedside table, and all I had to do was unwrap it...!' I try to explain that creative writing needs dedication, thought and preparation." He adds that meticulous planning makes writing easier and enhances the quality of the work.
Żahra emphasises that when we get an idea for a story, we need to exploit its potential to the full, and thanks to this workbook he is showing children, step by step, how to do exactly that.
Complementing Żahra's invaluable advice are the charming illustrations by Nadine Debattista Briffa, which give shape and colour to the ideas on the page, further stimulating imagination and inspiring more ideas.
Trid Niktbu Storja Flimkien? is primarily aimed at children between the fourth and sixth years of primary school, who are just embarking on their journey into the world of creative writing. This is not just a workbook; it is an invitation for children to discover how to express themselves and their creativity through writing, and above all explore the joys of storytelling.
Trid Niktbu Storja Flimkien? is available for sale at all local bookshops. It can also be conveniently ordered online from www.merlinpublishers.com.