I truly don’t know a greater love than the one that exists between my 5-year-old and our cat. The two are practically inseparable and have fostered a bond that began when my daughter was just a baby. My mother reminds me that I too treasured my childhood kitty and how I cried every time we left for vacation, worrying that she’d be lonely (I still shed a tear before leaving Peanut, and hide my red eyes behind dark sunglasses before we head out of town.) Because their friendship is more than heartwarming–it transcends the bounds of human/animal duos–I am relishing a new picture book about a young girl who unsuspectingly befriends a furry friend while pet-sitting. A Year With Marmalade follows a year in the life of Ella, whose best friend Maddy moves away and leaves behind her orange cat Marmalade. While both Ella and Marmalade moan the loss of their friend, it isn’t long before life moves forward, and they begin to spend time together out of sheer happenstance. As watch the seasons unfold and fall turns into winter, we can’t help but smile knowingly when Ella wakes up one cold morning to find Marmalade warming her feet in her cozy bed. Suddenly, the two have become such fast friends and their lives so intertwined, it’s hard to figure out where one starts and the other begins. By the time Maddy returns, sensitive readers may wonder whether or not three’s company will disrupt this new-found friendship. We won’t spoil the ending for readers, but it won’t give anything way to know that there’s a happy ending for all.
In a Nutshell: What happens when two friends are separated and life has changed irrevocably? A charming story about stumbling upon an unlikely friendship in the form of a feline companion that teaches young readers that change can be good.
