Early Reviewers

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.