What's New

FREE PENPAL AND CLASSROOMPEN COURSE

We are now offering an in-depth course for free to anyone buying our talking pens, the PENpal and ClassroomPEN. The course is based on video-tutorials, with helpful comments, and some quizzes if you want test your knowledge. Click on "More Info" to go to the course page on our site and read more. When you order a pen, you get free access to the course. If you already have a pen, email us on info@mantralingua.com to receive an invite to the course.
More Info

The Northern Cardinal Has Landed

June 2021 sees the launch of our latest dual language book, How Totsuwa Became Cherokee, published in collaboration with Cherokee Nation. Totsuwa is a young cardinal bird that notices a red spot on his feathers one day. Where did it come from? What does it mean? Distressed and confused, he turns to his grandfather for help, and is sent on a journey to discover who he truly is. The book will be available from mid-June, but you can read a little about it on our blog by clicking on "More Info", or email us regarding pre-orders. 
More Info

The Biscuit Moon Shines Brightly

In the midst of a year that was full of contention across the globe, you probably missed one of our more recent titles. The Biscuit Moon is set on the African continent, where Buffalo is struggling to find sustenance in the drought. When he stumbles across a precious pool of water, he is overjoyed to see a huge, white biscuit in the middle! But he's not the only one that wants the biscuit...
We have published this book in an extraordinary 33 languages (with more to come), and if you are using it in the classroom we also have extensive teachers' notes for you to download for free. Just click on "More Info" to explore this book and watch the "Look Inside" video.
More Info

Open to Submissions

We are now welcoming authors, illustrators, and other contributors (translators and narrators) to approach us. Read more under "About Us" by clicking on the "More Info" button. Email info@mantralingua.com with your submissions, keeping them professional just as you would when submitting to any other publishing house.
More Info

Story Time with Sita Thomas

Sita Thomas from Channel 5's Milkshake! is going to have an online Story Time that you can view from 11 am on Sun 13 Sep to 10 am on Sun 20 Sep, and she has discovered our lovely Kamishibai! If you want to see them in action, you can read more and book a 'ticket' on the Arts Depot website by clicking on "More Info".

 

More Info

Talking Pictures? Whatever Next? Tactile Menus From Mantra Lingua, That's What...

It's been a busy few months at Mantra Lingua. (Not that we're ever not busy, but we've been as busy as busy buzzy bees and bird-like creatures recently.) So what, might you ask, is it that's kept us all occupied? Well, we've been hard at work putting new events and new products together - including our exciting tactile menus.

In a world that's designed so much for navigation by the sighted, being visually impaired can make simple, joyful events like choosing a meal or having a nice day out rather more difficult and less accessible than they should be. Sound and touch become much more important - and our tactile menus, maps and charts combine the two, to help bring the world closer and, hopefully, make it make more sense too. 

Back in the spring of 2019, we worked with the East Anglia Sailing Trust to design, devise and produce the first tactile, sound-enabled maps in the world, to help blind and visually impaired sailors get the most out of their trips to sea. Now, we're delighted to announce our tactile talking menus. Using our PENpal or PENfriend technology you can record and playback details of ingredients, options, allergen advice, instructions, and so much more, in English, or another language of your choice, or both, so they're a great option for bilingual homes and bilingual classrooms too. Each soundspot can hold up to 60 minutes of audio. 

Like to find out more about how the Tactile Menus, Tactile Maps, Tactile Charts and other resources work? See for yourself with our short and sweet YouTube mini-tutorial. 
More Info

Bilingual Books on the Bookstart list

You know how much we love stories, and you know how much we love language. You probably also know how much we love sharing our love of both, in all kinds of formats and settings. So we're delighted to announce that two of our new bilingual titles for 2019, "Errol's Garden" and "Quiet", are going to feature in the next Bookstart programme. (Bookstart Week was renamed Pyjamarama in summer 2019.)

Bookstart is one of the long-standing programmes on offer from BookTrust, and free books are given away to every child in England and Wales at two crucial key stages before they start school. If you'd like to know more about the programme, Bookstart has helpful information for both caregivers and Early Years practitioners. 

You can find out more about all of our titles and products in our Spring 2020 catalogue.

 
More Info

About Us

Check out the new visualisation that defines us. Instead of reading pages, this simple animation will give you a clear picture of what Mantra Lingua is about. We do not just publish bilingual books. Our biggest division is the PENfriend that services the Blind and Partially sighted world market.
More Info

Catalogue

Our new e-catalogue is different. Instead of listing all our products, we list typical questions teachers and TAs ask. We help by suggesting which product could help resolve those questions.
More Info

"The Gruffalo" Story Prop for Text-free Story Telling

'Wordless Books' is a growing genre where readers are able to express what they see in their own words, in their own language. 
Our story Props (kamishibai) range is growing since it is particularly suited for multi-lingual classes. This group, rather than individual, activity takes only pictures from familiar picture books and the group performs the story telling in their own words. 
"The Gruffalo" by Julia Donalson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, is one of the best known picture books this century, It is now available as 17 picture cards, with no text,  for group story telling with the Kamishibai stage. 
One suggestion is that the teacher tells the story as it unfurls, card by card, in their own words. The audience are encouraged to participate and the teacher often pauses to ask questions. In multi-lingual classses pupils are encourage to speak in their home language if English is new to them. In fact, Gruffalo can be used as a tool to teach Modern Foreign Languages. 
The end effect is a dynamic story telling experience, with audience participation, which changes each time the story is retold!!

Other Story Prop cards are The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Mungo Makes New Friends, Musicians of Bremen, and plenty more to energise the classroom. 
More Info