Mase in Space
Get ready to blast off into the world of Mase in Space! We had the pleasure of sitting down with Ms Michelle Mifsud, one of TAASC's Speech and Language Pathologists and co-author of the upcoming children's book, Mase in Space. Alongside her sister Dr Marilyn Formosa, and talented illustrator Ms Sharon Naudi, Michelle has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to bring this exciting book to life. With the digital version sponsored by GO Mobile as part of their social disability fund, we couldn't wait to chat with Michelle about the journey to launching such a special project. Buckle up, it's going to be a wild ride!
We know you've been busy preparing for the launch of the exciting new book "Mase in Space", can you tell us what it is about?
Mase in Space is a bedtime story set in a dream and the product of a vivid imagination. The fictitious story involves Mase’s space journey in different space vehicles with various animals he meets and befriends in space.
How did you come up with the idea of Mase?
I had been toying with the idea of writing a children’s book for years and attending training in ‘Lis’n Tell Live Inclusive storytelling’ in London in 2017 was the final burst of inspiration. This short training course on inclusive storytelling focused on the use of rhythm and rhyme to engage and teach children of varying abilities and needs. Having always been keen on writing, an idea started brewing. I am never idle, constantly on the go and looking for the next big thing to do. After moving to Gozo and completing my master’s degree with distinction, I felt it was time to move on to another project – the book – it was time to make ‘the book’ happen, and who better to share it with than my beloved sister, Marilyn? As for Mase, it was always clear to me that the main character would be a young boy. There was no debate surrounding this at all - a little boy with bouncy hair, a fringe, and freckles. Equally, his name presented itself to us like it had always been there waiting for us to look for it. Ironic, given my work in the field focussing on girls often being underrepresented, misdiagnosed and missed! However, it just had to be Mase, inspired by many of my clients.
Who are the coauthors of the book?
Myself and my sister Marilyn, who holds a law degree but always identified first and foremost as a writer and creative and Sharon Naudi is the illustrator.
Writing a children's book can't be all fun and games. What were some of the challenges you had to overcome while writing "Mase in Space"?
Probably the research and data collection that went into it, and following that, our endeavours to assimilate, integrate, and incorporate as many suggestions and recommendations as possible. This was like a medusa constantly sprouting new heads to the point that there were moments it became almost too overwhelming. We collected data via a Google form questionnaire from consenting parents of children on the spectrum and followed this with online focus groups, which saw some of the same parents in attendance, as well as new ones, adults themselves presenting with autism, as well as representatives of the Autism Parents Association and ADHD Malta. The feedback was three-dimensional, and there was so much of it and many valued views, thoughts, and notes. Between budgets and feasibility, we grudgingly could not introduce every enhancement brought forward, and this was perhaps the hardest part, as on our journey to perfect the book to be the best version of itself possible, we were forced to also acknowledge our limitations and work within them. Having said that, we did manage, with the help of several people, to introduce a lot of the suggestions and this is incredibly rewarding to see them now, tangible and in print.
We bet writing a children's book was a great learning experience, so what was the most interesting thing you learned during the writing process?
A very valid reminder - that there is no one size fits all and that as much as our research hoped to unveil a set of characteristics and features that would make our work autism-sensitive all around, it became apparent early on that the autism spectrum is far too wide and varied for a 'magic formula' to be devised, with every child having unique abilities, wants, likes, dislikes, and needs. This was a big learning curve, and as with every creative process, this too was a fluid one, within which we learned instead to take a more malleable approach that hopefully speaks to and facilitates communication development within book-sharing for the widest number of children.
Who is the ideal reader for this book?
Conscious care was taken when fashioning "Mase in Space", in order to have the answer to this question be as inclusive as possible. Beyond the tentative autism-sensitive features, the book is an offering to all children, on the spectrum or not, and without an age restriction since it is the mental age that should be considered over chronological age (age according to one's birthday). Moreover, "Mase in Space" doubles up as a resource for both children as well as parents/carers/educators/therapists alike. There is hopefully enough opportunity for success and satisfaction either way.
Does your book have a digital version? Where can this be accessed from?
Yes, the book is available in both hardback print form as well as a digitised version of itself with some interactive features. The digitisation came through the support of GO plc, who endorsed the project under their corporate social responsibility policy and mission statement of leaving no one behind. The digital version is intended to allow children to interact with the story, an experience made possible through the inclusion of integrated features such as auto-narration, a skill-based game, a menu system, background music and sound effects, amongst others. This version aims to enhance the book-sharing and learning experience, and being digitally interactive increases accessibility and offers an engaging and personal experience for the child and parent/carer/educator/therapist alike. It will available as a pc and laptop-compatible downloadable product via the gaming platform itch.io.
We can't wait to get our hands on this book, where can we purchase it from?
For the time being, hard copy print form is available directly through Sincerely Spectrum socials, and digital via itch.io. We are working on other platforms to make the hard copy also available through our website. Follow our socials for updates
We love some cool merchandise, so are there any exciting plans for other Mase-related goodies?
The next step after launch is the roadshow, to be held every few weeks at different venues around Malta and Gozo where "Mase in Space" storytelling will take place. We do have some Mase-related add-ons to make the characters more exciting and fun, but on this note, we ask you to stay tuned for more! What we can reveal is that the journey does not end here but rather starts picking up pace from here on, with the project being a scalable one with plans to gamify it already in place.