Description
Lady Marmalade is a friendly goat who lives in the country where she is happily surrounded by good food and friends. But one day she moves to the city and finds she misses both green grass and her friends. She goes exploring in her neighbourhood and along the way meets five colourful characters all growing veggies. Her neighbours include everyone from Mrs Barretts (growing carrots) to Patty Prettice (growing lettuce). Lady Marmalade is delighted when they share their produce with her – she comes home with a full belly, but still feels lonely. So she decides to host a salad party, inviting all the new people she met in her neighbourhood. The party is a great success leaving everyone with full bellies and full hearts. Lady Marmalade has plenty to eat and plenty of new friends.
Lady Marmalade is aimed at kids in the early stages of their reading development. This book contains many elements useful for early readers including rhyme and repetition (allowing for predictions about the text) and counting. It includes ideas about vegetable growing and healthy eating, making friends, discovering the diversity in your neighbourhood and the concept of loneliness. The book comes with a support package of extension ideas for school teachers, home educators and parents – including free colouring in sheets from the story. And of course it’s fun and engaging!
The Real Lady Marmalade
Lady Marmalade resides at Ecoburbia, an urban farm near Fremantle Western Australia, with Tim, Shani, Coco and a menagerie of other folks. She is friendly, smart and curious. When she runs she looks a bit like the donkey from the movie ‘Shrek’. She likes eating grain, hay and all sorts of vegetables (including the ones in the garden if she can get to them). Lady Marmalade loves cuddles and pats and enjoys being the star of this book.
Review
“I loved Lady Marmalade from the moment I saw her. There’s so much to learn when we look at life through her goggles. With good food and friends you have the world in your neighbourhood.” – Costa Georgiadis, Gardening Australia Host
Product Details
Published October 2023
Ecoburbia
Paperback, 36 pages, full colour illustrations throughout.
ISBN: 9780645841503
About the Authors
Writer Shani Graham is an educator, facilitator, presenter and story teller with 30 years’ experience in sharing ideas and information to audiences of all ages. She has presented two TEDxPerth talks on community, and received a standing ovation. During her education career she was a teacher and principal of several schools – both primary and specialised schools for students with disabilities. These days she keeps goats, grows veggies and talks to her neighbours – just like Lady Marmalade! In this book she brings together her educational expertise, her enthusiasm for storytelling and her passion for urban food production.
The book is illustrated by her partner and fellow urban peasant Tim Darby. Tim is a sand sculptor and musician with a quirky sense of humour. Tim likes to scatter his work with details that, like hidden gems or op shop bargains, invite a second, third or fourth examination once the obvious plot has been revealed.
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