Kids Book Review is delighted to welcome friend and author Alison Reynolds, on tour with her beautiful new picture book. Enjoy this review and make sure you catch Alison on tour! Details at the bottom of this review, along with your chance to win a copy of Alison's beautiful book.
Ella and Maddy are best friends, but one day, things change. Maddy leaves. She's going away for a year but she can't take her cuddly little cat Marmalade. Can Ella look after her?
Yes, she can. But that doesn't stop both Ella and Marmalade crying and yowling as Maddy and her family's car disappear into the distance.
Marmalade is reluctant to befriend his new keeper, no matter how many leaves Ella scatters or how many puddles she stomps in, but slowly, little by little, Ella finds Marmalade warming her feet, riding in her bike basket, minding her clothes at the beach while she swims.
Then Maddy returns. Can Ella 'let go' of her new furry friend?
I love this book. From its stunning embossed front cover to its luscious illustrations and divinely meandering text, Alison Reynolds has created a charming story resplendent with subtly and delicious language. I simply adore the author's voice in this book.
The relationship between Ella and Marmalade is heartwarming, and the ending is at once satisfying and adorably sweet, without a scrap of schmaltz.
The endearing nature of friendship is utterly apparent in this book, but equally so is the concept of time, of seasons and of the passage of life and the way it surprises and delights us. Gorgeous fontface and typesetting, and a stunning use of colour and emotion are typical of McKenzie's beautiful work - and together this talented team have produced one of my favourite picture books this year.
Title: A Year with Marmalade
Author: Alison Reynolds
Illustrator: Heath McKenzie
Publisher: The Five Mile Press, $14.95 RRP
Publication Date: August 2012
Format: Hard cover
ISBN: 9781742488806
For ages: 2 - 10
Type: Picture Book
A Year with Marmalade Blog Tour - join in the fun!
7th Aug Dee White deescribewriting.wordpress.com
9th Aug Karen Tyrrell www.karentyrrell.com
11th Aug Tania McCartney www.kids-bookreview.com
13th Aug Pass It On jackiehoskingpio.wordpress.com/school-magazine
14th Aug Kathryn Apel katswhiskers.wordpress.com/blog
17th Aug Dale Harcombe orangedale.livejournal.com
20th Aug Peter Taylor writing-for-children.blogspot.com.au
22nd Aug Susan Stephenson www.thebookchook.com
23rd Aug Robyn Opie Parnell robynopie.blogspot.com.au
27th Aug Sally Odgers spinningpearls.blogspot.com.au
29th Aug Angela Sunde angelasunde.blogspot.com.au
31st Aug Chris Bell christinemareebell.wordpress.com
A Year with Marmalade Competition Marmalade’s personality really shines through in Alison Reynolds and Heath McKenzie’s picture book A Year with Marmalade. Share your favourite picture showing your cat’s personality and you could win a signed copy of A Year with Marmalade and a copy of the picture book Lighty Faust the Lion, a book about a much bigger cat.
Upload your picture to Alison Reynolds’ facebook page at www.facebook.com/alison.reynolds.524 or email it to Alison as a low-res jpeg file at alrey@msn.com.au and she’ll upload it on her website www.alisonreynolds.com.au.
Entries close 1 September 2012.
