Marmaduke Duck and the Marmalade Jam is a tongue twister, an adventure and a bunch of silly fun! Read my full book review here!
Marmaduke Duck and the Marmalade Jam by Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis, published 2010
Just Quickly, What Is It?
Marmaduke Duck makes marmalade jam! He enjoys it by the river, causing a quiver and a shiver..
A rhyming masterpiece and tongue twister, a fun tale to tell!
He is joined by a cat and a rat, a frog and a hog, a dog on a jog and a ram named Sam! The words bring a smile but the pictures bring it to life!
Tell Me More, What’s It all About?
Marmaduke Duck finds a grapefruit tree. He considers himself a very lucky duck and sets about making marmalade jam. He sets off to the river, eating his jam, unaware of the drama among the panorama.
The cat and the rat, the farmer in pyjamas, the ram named Sam and the dog on a jog are all in haste for a taste of that marmalade jam!
The drama unfolds, Marmaduke is in tears, until the farmer in pyjamas has a grand idea!
The rhyme and the rhythm are a joy to execute, the pictures tell the story, they’re expressive, they’re a hoot!
Characters?
Marmaduke Duck, a ram named Sam, llama-farmer Palmer and of course the cheeky llama, a dog on a jog, there’s the cat and the rat, the sleepy eyed bat and the lamb named Pam. Add a couple more and the fun’s just begun!
So, What Do I Love About It?
The illustrations are the strongest point in this story. They go hand in hand with the clever rhyme and rhythm but the pictures bring the detail that make the story come alive. The expressions on the faces, the tiny details that have been thought through mean you want to linger on each page to not miss a thing.
The rhyme in the story is a tongue twister at best, testing your focus and your humour as you execute each carefully planned sentence.
Children will love the alliteration and the cleverly named creatures, rejoicing in the picture details, sure to point out a missing shoe or a cheeky gnat while the reader gets their head (and tongue) around the words.
I love that this story doesn’t lose appeal after reading multiple times. The pictures still amuse, the words are fun to read and children will almost certainly yell out, ‘Again!’
Weak Points For Me
I can’t pick a weak point for this story. I’ve read it dozens of times to various children and it never gets old. It’s timeless, it brings a giggle and in my opinion, not known widely enough.
Quick Summary Review
Marmaduke Duck loves his marmalade jam. He’s not afraid to enjoy it, down by the river, causing a great quiver, gaining a following. Tears will be shed, friends will be made, viewers will surely giggle and want to read it again!
Recommendations
This story is presented as an engaging picture book with fun, rhyming language aimed at preschool and toddler children (aged 2-6) but will definitely captivate older children too, up to even 10 years old, with adults most likely enjoying the ride and the rhyme as they participate in the excitement with the child as they read along.
You can find it on Amazon below:
You can ready my other BOOK REVIEWS HERE:
DO NOT OPEN THIS BOOK By Andy Lee – BOOK REVIEW
CHARLIE’S SUPERHERO UNDERPANTS – BOOK REVIEW
WHERE IS THE GREEN SHEEP? – BOOK REVIEW
BUSTING! By Aaron Blabey – BOOK REVIEW
