Parents' Guide to

The Marshmallow Incident

By Darienne Stewart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Silly food fight yarn teaches lesson on settling disputes.

Book Judi Barrett Fantasy 2009
The Marshmallow Incident Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

For as long as anyone can remember, the towns of Left and Right have kept to themselves, separated by a dotted line policed by the Order of the Ambidextrous Knights of the Dotted Line. When someone accidentally crosses that line, the knights respond with a volley of -- marshmallows?! The incident prompts the people of Left and Right to reconsider whether they’re so different after all.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

It’s a silly story, and no, the marshmallows don’t make a whole lot of sense; it doesn’t matter, though, because kids will love this food fight fantasy. The moral lesson wrapped up in sticky treats goes down pretty easily.

The text is serviceable, but the real pleasure for children lies in the illustrations. Ron Barrett’s pen-and-ink drawings are chock-full of entertaining details: a sign for the gift shop at the knights’ castle, a couple playing tennis with marshmallows, a knight’s helmet turned into a flowerpot, and much more.

Detailed pen-and-ink drawings offer much to explore and enjoy.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about resolving disputes. Have you ever tried to talk through a disagreement with someone? Were you able to agree? What do you think would have happened if the people of Left and Right couldn’t agree on what to do?

  • Look closely at the pages where the citizens discuss whether to erase the line -- not everyone agrees with the final decision. How does it feel to be on the losing side of a vote? Do you think the people who said they wanted to keep the line would feel the same way or view it differently after the line was erased?

  • Have you ever felt a rule was pointless and unnecessary? How would you go about challenging it?

Book Details

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