Reviews

Marlon Finds A Way by Dan Bailes centers around Marlon, a cat who has been dubbed Mad Marlon. Marlon isn’t a fan of this name and wants things to change. His mom tells him to count to ten whenever he gets angry so that he won’t act up and Marlon decides to give it a try. Marlon then sees a pretty little sparrow and wants to befriend it but the sparrow, Silky, is always cautious whenever Marlon is around because sparrows know better than to make friends with a cat. Can Marlon show Silky that there is nothing to fear and can he change his name from Mad Marlon to something not so scary?

Marlon Finds A Way by Dan Bailes is a cute story within a story. The story of Marlon and Silky is told by a mother to her two sons. The boys learn a lot through the tales told about Mad Marlon and his journey to earning Silky’s trust. I think this book does a fantastic job of teaching children about patience, trust, and kindness through this tale while still making it entertaining. The story is well written and easy to follow along with beautifully drawn illustrations by the author. I think this book would do well for young children as it incorporates many lessons, while still being entertaining enough to hold a child’s attention. I would recommend this book for children, especially young readers and pre-teens. – Reviewed by Miche Arendse for Readers’ Favorite