Marmalade's Nap: 09/07/21

Marmalade's Nap by Cindy Wheeler came out when I was ten but I didn't discover this series of books for another twenty years. I was given two of them as hand-me-downs when I was a mother of small children: Marmalade's Snowy Day (1982) and Marmalade's Yellow Leaf (1982). While going through storage I found these books which I've held onto even though my oldest is an adult and my youngest is in high school.

Part of my nostalgic tie to this book is a cat my parents were given when I was a senior in high school. That Marmalade was by far the most exasperating cat I've ever known. But my parents loved her and she loved them.

Marmalade of Cindy Wheeler's series is a more typical cat. She's an American ginger with similar adventures to Mog the Forgetful Cat (1970). But there are far fewer Marmalade books and they are harder to find as they're no longer in print.

In this volume, Marmalade wants to take a nap. She wants peace and quiet. She has the misfortune of living on a farm. She's not a barn cat at heart and the various baby animals she tries to sleep near are too noisy. Save, ironically for the last baby. Care to guess what species of animal the last baby is?

It's a cute book with a believable lead character. It introduces children to different kinds of animals. It provides a chance to predict the narrative through repetition. It has a satisfactory ending by subverting expectations.

The remaining two books are Marmalade's Picnic (1983) and Marmalade's Christmas Present (1984).

Five stars

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