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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 APRIL 2020 8 CULTURE BOOKS Book Review Passjoni Vol. 2 From The Last Supper to the Garden of Gethsemane Photogrphy by Mario Cocker and commentary by Chev. Mario Coleiro O.S.J. Horizons, 2019 IN 2019, the first book in this series, PASSJO- NI – Merging Art and Faith, gave readers an overview of the statues that make up the Mal- tese Islands' many Good Friday processions. Now, the second book shines a light on the statues that open these well-attended pro- cessions, starting from The Last Supper and moving on to the events that took place in the Garden of Gethsemane. Very few Good Friday processions across Malta and Gozo kick off with a statue depict- ing The Last Supper. In fact, this is so far the preserve of just two localities: Qormi in Malta and Żebbuġ in Gozo. All the others begin the much-anticipated processions with a stat- ue of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, which almost always shows Christ being comforted by the Angel of the Lord. Even so, while the statue of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane is a staple in all Good Friday processions, certain localities have added their own twist to the scene. Another scene which takes place within the confines of the Garden of Gethsemane is Judas's infamous betrayal in which he us- es a kiss to bring down the Son of Man. This statue was introduced to the Maltese Islands by Qormi, which added it to their Good Fri- day procession in 1907. It remained the only such depiction for 54 years, until Żejtun in- troduced theirs in 1961. Even today, this stat- ue is not particularly common and can only be found in the Good Friday processions of Cospicua, Luqa, Mosta, Naxxar, Paola and Qormi. All four Gospels portray the Garden of Gethsemane as playing a central role in the first phase of Jesus' Passion, including the ag- ony, the betrayal and the arrest. This makes it an important scene to remember as you delve into this book. Hashtag: what shall I read with my kids? MUCH like the other 300 million of their peers around the world, chil- dren in Malta are out of school due to the global pandemic. As schools move teaching and learning online, parents will also be looking into supporting their children's education. Setting a schedule can go a long way in providing structure and a sense of safety. Any added time at home spent reading is also an opportunity to spend better time together, develop chil- dren's empathy and imagination, and of course have fun. Every year, the National Book Council awards the Terramaxka Prize to some of Malta's best writers for books that do just that. The books we are suggesting have been awarded the 2019 Terramaxka Prize for children's and adolescents' literature, and they feature great heart- warming stories and adventures to get you through the month and beyond. Original works for children ages 0–7 Il-Ħanut tal-Ħelu Li Mar Dawra (Merlin Publishers) Clare Azzopardi is a veteran children's writer and the author of the kids' fa- vourite book series featuring 'L-aħwa De Molizz'. Her latest picture book, Il-Ħanut tal-Ħelu Li Mar Dawra, fol- lows young Max and the most charm- ing and quaint candy shop on a mission around Malta to share gifts and sweets with the less privileged. The magical story steers clear from sermonising, instead shedding light on diverse social realities and humane ways of responding to them. The book is illustrated by Matt Stroud. Original works for children ages 8–12 Irvin Vella: Investigatur Virtwali: Il- Każ tal-Gżejjer tat-Teżor (Merlin Pub- lishers) Il-Każ tal-Gżejjer tat-Teżor is the third instalment in John A. Bonello's Ir- vin Vella detective series. The nineteen year old Irvin Vella is not quite yet a de- tective – he is still studying to receive his private investigator's warrant – but he is quickly gaining a reputation for solving unfathomable mysteries. In this book, he sets off to Gozo in search of clues that may provide an explanation for the death of a young lawyer on New Year's eve, resulting in action-packed and suspenseful whodunit with a good dose of humour. Il-Każ tal-Gżejjer tat-Teżor follows Irivin Vella: Il-Każ tas-Serqiet Strambi and the first book in the series, Irvin Vella: Il-Każ Manduca. Original works for young teens Amina (Merlin Publishers) Antoinette Borg's previous books, including Fittixni (2016), won her the National Book Prize for the Best Emer- gent Author in 2018. She returns with the eye-opening Amina, a novel about a 15-year-old Maths prodigy who lives on patterns, rules and diagrams. Amina sees life in figures, but the book is not all about maths: it's an adventure mystery on the surface which weaves in reflec- tions on the meaning of identity, grow- ing up as to migrant parents in Malta, the bleakness of infirmity, and the pow- er of stories. Translated books for children ages 0–7 L-Annimali tas-Savana: Il Verità Koll- ha fuq l-Annimali (Merlin Publishers) "Iż-żebra tħobb toqgħod waħidha tixrob belgħa te fuq is-sufan? U le! Ma tarax!" L-Annimali tas-Savana promis- es to deliver the truth and nothing but the whole truth about ten of the fasci- nating animals of the African savanna. This educational gamebook combines illustrations with photos to make learn- ing all the more enjoyable. The book is translated by the Rachel Portelli from the French Les animaux de la savane by éditions Auzou, and carries illustrations by Anne Passchier. Translated books for children ages 8–12 Missjoni: Insalvaw il-Pjaneta l-Blu (Merlin Publishers) Insalvaw il-Pjaneta l-Blu is a book that nurtures an active appreciation for our living planet with young read- ers. It is narrated by Gwi Do, an alien with an ecological conscience who is a bit of a Super Trooper set on saving planets from their own destruction. Earth is keeping busy at the moment, which is why he asks readers to fasten their seatbelt and set on a mission to save the environment, and four of the planet's most important resources: Air, Soil, Water, and Forests. The book has been published with the support of the National Literacy Agency and has been adapted into Maltese by Dwayne Ellul. Best Book Production 2019 Lorella u l-Ġenju Li ma Kienx Jaf Jaqra (BDL Publishing) Lorella u l-Ġenju Li ma Kienx Jaf Jaqra is a somewhat quirky tale fea- turing many familiar characters from a range of popular children's stories all of which make an appearance in Rita Saliba's book about Lorella's en- counter with kindhearted genie. He's very much willing to provide Lorella with a helping hand to write a school assignment – the only problem is he can't read or write. The book is rich- ly illustrated by Moira Zahra, herself a winner of the Premju Terramaxka in 2018 with Mamà, allura din imħab- ba? (Merlin Publishers, 2017), and has been published with the support of the National Literacy Agency.