Marmaduke Duck and the Marmalade Jam

Juliette MacIver (author)

Sarah Davis (illustrator)

Scholastic, NZ: 2010

ISBN: 9781869439286

Genre: animal stories, picture book

Issues: friendship, ownership, sharing

'Down in the woods, not far from the sea,/Marmaduke Duck found a grapefruit tree,' and decides to make some marmalade. The chaotic adventures that follow the creation of Marmaduke's jam have to be seen to be believed as every creature he encounters wants a taste.

 In dancing rhymes that tingle on the tongue, Marmaduke and his marmalade are pursued by 'a cat and a rat and a sleepy-eyed bat and a leapy-high gnat and a ram named Sam and a lamb named Pam in haste for a taste of the marmalade jam.'

Children will love the long strings of similar sounds as well as the vibrant illustrations that capture so well the mouth-watering attraction of the bright orange jam. Juliette MacIver is a relative newcomer to picture books but it's obvious that she has a talent for creating rhythmic text that will delight listeners and soon have them chanting along. Sarah Davis (Fearless; The Fierce Little Woman & theWicked Pirate ) is a gifted illustrator who uses her skills capture the energy and movement of the text, the personality she imbues in each creature giving visual readers much to chuckle about. An utter delight – but be prepared for multiple readings!