Martha and her class, with their teacher Mrs Sousa, are making a visit to the Museum of Famous People. Inside this fabulous place the students, especially Martha Maloney, discover so much more than a few dusty facts about "olden days" people. Perhaps because Martha is focused on her lunch but as we tour the museum Martha takes us into banquet halls, castles, dining rooms and palaces. At each location Martha describes the amazing meals eaten by each famous historic figure - King Henry VIII; Emperor Claudius; Princess Marie Antoinette; Emperor Puyi (from China); and Queen Nefertiti. There is so much to discover both from the descriptions by Martha, the alternating footnotes pages and the richly illustrated banquet scenes.
When you think of books where children make a visit to a museum you might think of the very famous novel From the Mixed up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler. You could also take a look at my recent post about Museums for International Museum Day where I share other novels and picture books on this topic. I realise now I should have referenced this book too - The Amazing Meals of Martha Maloney.
Here are a few fun facts I discovered from this funny, intelligent and slightly quirky book:
- Henry VIII enjoyed jellies shaped like castles and animals
- Marie Antoinette did not say 'Let them eat cake'
- Nefertiti means 'A Beautiful Woman'
As you would expect from an author like our national treasure Margaret Wild and a talented illustrator like Donna Rawlins when combined with one of our very best publishers - Walker Books - this book has been designed with so much care. The font for the title is simply perfect. I also liked the green check school uniform complete with large bright yellow tie. This book is a 2022 CBCA Eve Pownall (Non Fiction) notable book. Margaret Wild was the IBBY 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Award nominee.
Martha is a likeable character and young readers are sure to be fascinated by her insights into the eating habits of different famous characters from world history. The writing in this book is filled with energy which echoes the energy of Martha as she makes her museum discoveries. Donna Rawlins has created rich, full page illustrations that seem reminiscent of court tapestries. The end papers are interesting and invite close study and this same line pattern is used on the cover. The fun fact pages are easy to read and contain just the right amount of detail to satisfy a reader’s curiosity. These pages could also be used as a springboard for further research.
It is unconventional to intersperse the notes pages throughout a book – these are usually either footnotes or included at the back, but I think in this book, which is written for Primary aged children, the alternate foot note pages work well and the flow of the museum excursion is not interrupted.
I just had one question - where did all the food Martha consumes on the excursion come from? She is not carrying a back pack and the foods do not come from the famous meals that she has ‘gate crashed’. Martha eats a pie dripping in sauce; a banana and an apple; a lollipop; a jam bun with a fizzy drink; bubble gum; and a salad wrap!
Here is the publisher blurb: On a school trip to the Museum of Famous People, Martha Maloney wanders off and enjoys the culinary delights of important figures through time, much to the dismay of her teacher. Readers can experience history through the dining tables of King Henry VIII, Princess Marie Antoinette, Queen Nefertiti and more, with heaped servings of information about each time period and their culinary customs. This unique picture book weaves together fiction and non-fiction to create a delicious read for inquisitive young minds.
In this post Dan Wild (son of Margaret Wild) talks about the beginning of this story written when he was just fourteen.
I am a huge fan of Donna Rawlins - here are some of my favourites:
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