Marcelo, Martello, Marshmallow

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Author(s)

Ruth Rocha

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Ana Matsusaki
Tal Goldfajn (Translator)

Publisher Name

Tapioca Stories

Genre(s)

Language

Age Range

Release Date

June 11, 2024

ISBN13

978-1734783995

ISBN10 or ASIN

Marcelo is a curious and inventive boy who has a lot of questions, especially about words and their meanings. His parents provide him with an assortment of explanations, but as Marcelo ventures to further discover these answers, he decides to create his own vocabulary. His family strives to embrace his new, unique language, but confusion soon unfolds, in a particularly unexpected way.

Marcelo, Martello, Marshmallow is a playful reflection about language and its origins. This heartwarming tale poses as a celebration of young creative thinkers, like Marcelo, making sense of the world we live in.

This story, originally published in Brazil in 1976 and titled Marcelo, Martelo, Marmelo, is the cornerstone work by acclaimed children's book author Ruth Rocha. Ana Matsusaki's imaginative illustrations immerse readers in the creative mind of Marcelo in the first English edition of this beloved Brazilian children's book.

Editor review

1 review

Whimsical Exploration of Language

October 08, 2024

Overall rating

4.3

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

Marcelo, Martello, Marshmallow takes a fanciful look at language and questions through the eyes of a child why we have the words that we do instead of others. Marcelo wonders why language uses Latin as its base instead of descriptions for what things look like or do and decides to use his own language to better describe his surroundings. Children often explore language and make up sounds or silly words that they like better so this book exemplifies that natural curiosity in children. This makes it a perfect read for fans of Frindle by Andrew Clements. The illustrations are quirky collages that complement the text’s exploration of the central question of why things are the way they are. Overall, this is a thought-provoking exploration of language while being fun and whimsical.