Il-Kulleġġ tal-Prinċpijiet Perfetti

What would you do if your son told you that he wants to start going to ballet lessons, or that he wants to take up dressmaking or open a nail salon? Would you: a) High-five him and say “Way

to go, son!” b) No words come out of your mouth because you are overtaken by extreme worry c) You simply growl “No. Way. Ma. Tarax.” Unfortunately, although we’d like to believe that we live in a very progressive society, most parents would opt for option c). We are still very much influenced by gender stereotyping and when we see children defy the mould we tend to label them as ‘weaklings’ in the case of boys, or ‘pushy’ in the case of girls. If they happen to be our children, it’s worse: we worry that if they don’t conform to stereotypes, they will be more vulnerable to bullying and at risk of low selfesteem.

Yet, in 2017 men can become chefs, nurses and stay-at-home dads; women can become mechanics, Prime Ministers and footballers and none of these roles diminishes a person’s femininity or masculinity.

Il-Kulleġġ tal-Prinċpijiet Perfetti, written originally in Portuguese by Eliandro Rocha and cheekily illustrated by Thiago Lopes, is a book which tackles this issue. Translated into Maltese by author Noel Tanti, the fun story revolves around a boy and a girl who want to defy the roles expected of them by society: Valentino wants to become a dressmaker and Sophia wants to become an architect. Both careers are traditionally tied to the opposite genders, and therefore both face the wrath of the people around them because they are breaking away from the norm.

It is a rare book which lets children know that if a girl prefers cranes to cradling dolls or a boy prefers ballet to baseball, it doesn’t matter. It challenges gender stereotypes and celebrates the fact that not every child fits into society’s preconceived notion of what it means to be a boy or a girl. The take-home message of Il-Kulleġġ tal-Prinċpijiet Perfetti is that children need to take pride in what they do, and learn to accept the diversity of other children’s experiences and identities.

“As publishers we feel it is our responsibility to help all children feel inclusive when it comes to their identity,” Chris Gruppetta, Merlin Publishers director said. “We published this book because we believe that ingrained culture can only change if we create awareness among young children, and encourage them to follow their dreams and not that to follow a path which is expected of them,” he said. “Books should give children the chance to explore new things and ideas,” he said, especially at a time when society is increasingly pushing forward a broader definition of gender.

The fact that the book was originally in Portuguese was another attraction for Merlin Publishers, who are on a mission to introduce Maltese children to world literature, so as to broaden their horizons. “After we translated French, Italian, Catalan, Spanish books into Maltese, we thought we should introduce Brazilian literature to Malta,” Gruppetta quipped.

Il-Kulleġġ tal-Prinċpijiet Perfetti was translated to Maltese by Noel Tanti, author of best-selling children’s book Jonas. He was immediately captivated by the story – in particular the ending, which is different from the usual “and they lived happily ever after”. “The story is wrapped up with the couple living happily … possibly not forever but definitely for a very long time,” said Tanti.

The book’s Brazilian publisher pointed out that the Eliandro Rocha was very deliberate about this because he felt it referred to the realities that some marriages do end, but that love is still worth living.

Il-Kulleġġ tal-Prinċpijiet Perfetti tackles issues in a fun-butsensitive manner and it will open doors for discussion not only between parents and children but also among adults who will read the book.

There is no fixed target age for Il-Kulleġġ tal-Prinċpijiet Perfetti. It is ideal both for reading to children when these are still very young, and eventually for reading by children themselves when they are slightly older.

Il-Kulleġġ tal-Prinċpijiet Perfetti - by Eliandro Rocha, illustrated by Thiago Lopes and translated by Noel Tanti- is available from all bookshops or online directly from www.merlinpublishers.com