'Kaħlani: Skoss Pożi u Karamboli'

Authors: Clare Azzopardi and Leanne Ellul

Illustrations: Romont Willy

Publisher: Merlin Publishers

Pages: 64

We're living in the Instagram era: everyone studies their angles and tries out poses to capture nothing short of the perfect picture. Apparently, even ghosts have been caught up in the craze, as the beloved ghost Kaħlani returns with his third adventure, this time themed around vintage photography and royal visits.

Kaħlani: Skoss Pożi u Karamboli, the latest title in the popular Kaħlani series published by Merlin Publishers, takes young readers back into the colourful and chaotic world of Birkirkara's historic railway station, still home to a lively bunch of ghosts of every colour who never stop inventing mischief. This time, Kaħlani and his friends present two stories that perfectly capture the atmosphere of a bygone era when cameras were a novelty and a royal visit was quite within the realm of possibility.

The first story begins when a celebrated photographer turns up at the station with an antique camera. Here readers discover how even the simplest attempt to capture a moment can turn into complete disaster when Kaħlani is involved. In the second story, Kaħlani creates one of his typical muddles, and the grand expectations of a majestic royal visit come crashing down into chaos.

The Kaħlani stories are much more than light-hearted ghost adventures. They are cleverly woven into Malta's history, set in the period when the railway was still running on our island. The stories weave in significant cultural moments such as, in this case, the arrival of the first cameras and the excitement of royal occasions. Authors Clare Azzopardi and Leanne Ellul have created a series that makes our country's history accessible and exciting for young readers, while entertaining them with engaging stories.

These endearing Birkirkara characters are the brainchild of Azzopardi and Ellul, two leading authors who often collaborate on children's literature, both in the academic and literary fields. Individually and together, Azzopardi and Ellul have won numerous awards for their original works as well as their translations.

The collaborative spark between Azzopardi and Ellul can be felt on every page. As they themselves explain, their creative process is anything but linear. "Generally one idea leads to another. And one becomes two or three, and perhaps the second one becomes the fourth, and that second one doesn't even make it in the end. A bit like the ghosts themselves. And sometimes we forget who started, continued, and finished!" They go on to describe the process thus: "It's like a game, not always easy... sometimes a difficult game... but beautiful at the same time."

Once again, illustrator Romont Willy brings Kaħlani and his ghost friends at Birkirkara station vividly to life, with his charming watercolour-style artwork. His distinctive touch and attention to fine detail complement the stories perfectly, helping young readers imagine a world where history and playfulness come together.

Kaħlani: Skoss Pożi u Karamboli continues the series' commitment to accessibility and reading skills development. Beyond the fun stories and simple text, it is printed on cream-coloured paper using the EasyReading font, a large specialised typeface designed to facilitate reading. While these aids are intended primarily to help children with dyslexia, they actually benefit all young readers, particularly those who might find reading in Maltese somewhat challenging.

For children who occasionally visit the old railway station in Birkirkara, the Kaħlani series adds an extra touch of magic to the place. The authors enjoy sharing this with schoolchildren: "We tell them that Kaħlani truly exists and that they can go and look for him at the Birkirkara station. Some are completely sceptical, but others have that spark of hope, a tiny flicker of curiosity that maybe, just maybe, Kaħlani really does exist." It's precisely this blend of reality and imagination that makes this series so captivating.

Kaħlani: Skoss Pożi u Karamboli, as well as Kaħlani u l-Fatati Kull Kulur and Il-Fatat Kaħlani, are suitable for children aged seven and over, and are available for purchase from all bookshops or online directly from www.merlinpublishers.com