"Fejn hu l-book?" "Mur ġib il-ball." This jumble of Maltese and English is unfortunately something you'll hear almost everywhere young children are present. It's a practice that often starts with parents and grandparents, in their zeal for their little ones to learn English quickly, but it's absorbed by children who, before long, are speaking in a patchwork of the two languages.. And as they grow, many continue to struggle to remember "what's that thing called in Maltese?" - simply because, in their earliest years, they mostly heard the names of basic objects in English.

Against this backdrop, and as part of its commitment to safeguarding our language through books, Merlin Publishers have just launched 500 kelma għal kuljum, an extensive illustrated vocabulary resource designed to help young children learn their very first 500 words... in Maltese!

This attractive book presents a carefully curated collection of words drawn from everyday life, accompanied by relevant illustrations. With its sturdy, child-friendly format, it is the perfect reference for those crucial early years.

500 kelma għal kuljum is organised by logical, intuitive themes covering the full range of a child's daily world - the food we eat, parts of the body, the clothes we wear, the home, the outdoors, animals and colours, and the emotions we feel. Every page is filled with clear, charming illustrations, making object recognition and word memorisation a natural, enjoyable process for little ones.

"We've always believed that the Maltese language should be the foundation of our children's communication," says Chris Gruppetta, Director of Merlin Publishers. "When children first learn to name objects in their mother tongue, it gives them a sense of cultural identity and, just as importantly, provides a solid base for their future linguistic development."

Merlin Publishers have a long track record of publishing fresh, innovative Maltese books for children. In the past year alone, they have released a wide range of interactive titles such as Fittex u Sib, the pop-up series L-Ewwel Ktieb Pop-up Tiegħi, the game-book Dinosawru bil-Ġuħ, sturdy board books including M għal Malta, the sound books Isma' l-Vetturi and Isma' l-Annimali, the soft cloth book featuring a Maltese lullaby Ninni Ninni, as well as a host of beautifully illustrated picture books. This repertoire speaks volumes about the publisher's tireless commitment to creating high quality, relevant educational tools for Maltese families.

500 kelma għal kuljum is an investment in our children's linguistic future. Every word learned in Maltese during the early years is a step closer to full conversations entirely in Maltese-without random English words thrown in.

For parents who want to give their children a head start in Maltese, 500 kelma għal kuljum - alongside a wide range of other Maltese-language books for young readers - is available now in bookshops across Malta and Gozo, and online at www.merlinpublishers.com.