'Dawra mad-Dinja'

Author: Christine Ciappara

Illustrations: Naomi Gatt

Publisher: Merlina Publishers / 2025

Pages

What if "getting lost in a good book" weren't just a figure of speech? What if you literally found yourself trapped inside a book with no way out? That's exactly what happens to Lucy, the reluctant heroine of Dawra mad-Dinja, the debut children's book by Christine Ciappara.

Lucy doesn't like reading. Books? A waste of time. Stories? No thanks. But one day at her local library she comes across a peculiar book called Dawra mad-Dinja, and before she knows it, she's literally pulled right inside it! Trapped within the pages, Lucy must travel across the world, tackling a series of puzzles and challenges in order to find six keys that will lead her back home.

Throughout this journey, readers are invited to help Lucy and her companion Samwel solve all sorts of brain teasers, puzzles, wordplay, mazes and other playful challenges, while travelling across all the world's continents and meeting fascinating characters and creatures along the way.

Blending storytelling with interactivity, Dawra mad-Dinja, published by Merlin Publishers, is designed to capture the imagination of children who might not quite relish the prospect of reading. Written in fresh, contemporary Maltese, this book turns its readers from passive observers into active co-adventurers in Lucy's quest. It's the perfect story for children who, like Lucy, have yet to discover the magic a book can offer.

The creator and author of Dawra mad-Dinja, Christine Ciappara, drew inspiration from her own reading sessions with her daughter. "When my daughter was younger and I'd read stories to her, I noticed how much more she enjoyed it when she had something to do as part of the story. Even something as simple as pointing to an object or finding a character in the picture," she explained. "That's where the idea for an interactive children's book began. Like Lucy, not all children love reading. This book combines reading with games and brain teasers. I hope readers enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it and designing the puzzles!"

Lucy's unexpected adventure is brought vividly to life through the illustrations of Naomi Gatt, winner of the 2025 Illustrator Recognition Award. Her confident, sophisticated and instantly recognisable style makes the experience both visually engaging and mentally stimulating: an irresistible combination for even the most hesitant readers.

Dawra mad-Dinja is available from all bookshops and online at www.merlinpublishers.com.