Marshmallow & Jordan

What an adorable story! It’s a quick read for a 10 year old.

There's multiple layers to this book, with a primary plot about middle school kid Jordan & the magical white elephant she finds and befriends & how Jordan grows & changes during a year of changes in friends & sports. There's a secondary plot about climate change that weaves thru the main plot, coming together towards the end. The richness of the Indonesian culture is palpable throughout the book; the diverse cast is beautiful and never feels like it's just there for "diversity points".Recommended for readers of all ages, but of course especially for middle grades kids.

Wonderful story and beautiful illustrations. I would highly recommend!

Lovely artwork with a wonderful, sweet and inspiring story.

This book was amazing! The art was wonderful and the story was untouchable and new to me. I will definitely recommend.

Now that I’m a teacher, it’s much harder to keep track of all of the awesome books releasing each week. I don’t have the attention span (or time) I used to have to track what’s going on in the book world! Luckily, the folks at Macmillan and First Second do a great job of getting the word out about their books to bloggers, librarians, and educators. And when I heard about Alina Chau’s middle grade graphic novel Marshmallow & Jordan, I perked right up. A mysterious white elephant, a story set in Indonesia, playing sports with a disability, and water polo (which I played myself!) all rolled into one story??! Sign me up. And the result, you’ll be glad to hear, is enchanting.Jordan, a former basketball star growing up in Indonesia, is still on her school’s team even after an accident left her paraplegic. However, Jordan misses playing in games – she’s not allowed to compete in a wheelchair, even though she can still make amazing shots. Enter Marshmallow, a mysterious white baby elephant who needs Jordan’s help and friendship. With Marshmallow’s help, Jordan learns how to play water polo, joins the water polo team, and works for her chance to compete again. Two mysteries remain: who, or what, is Marshmallow? And will Jordan’s new team get to compete next year at nationals?Oh my goodness, this is SUCH a cute book! It’s solidly middle grade, with adorable art, bittersweet moments of loss and could-have-been futures balanced by a solid here-and-now main character, and a fantastic setting and cultural milieu. Jordan’s family, including her parents and her nenek (grandmother) are a welcome change from many YA and middle grade books – they’re alive! and present in Jordan’s life. Their banter and support are refreshing to read, and help the reader understand how Jordan has become who she is. Jordan also has an amazing friend group through her basketball team, and throughout the book she gets to know girls on the water polo team as well. Overall, Chau’s storytelling is fairly simple, but the setting, amazing network behind Jordan, the mystery and cuteness (kawaii!) of Marshmallow, and the gorgeous artwork raise the book a level above.If there is a weakness in this book, it is that there’s not quite enough of it – but isn’t that always the way? I was having such a good time with Jordan and her crew that I wanted to keep reading. Marshmallow’s fantastical origins could have been explored a little more? But really, what you get as a reader is a sweet, good-hearted story with just a bit of angst to carry you through. And it is a wonderful read for those reasons!Let’s talk a bit about the art. When I first saw it I thought refined watercolors, vibrant colors, attention to cultural setting and details (especially food and flowers!), and an elephant that is too cute to be real – and I was right on that point! Chau’s art was sketched and cleaned up in Photoshop, watercolors painted by hand, and then composites were detailed in Photoshop, according to the back matter. Chau captures movement well, including illustrating plays in both basketball and water polo, which is tough! Her background in the film and game industries no doubt helped develop that skill, and she brings it and the storytelling to the page with grace.In all, Marshmallow & Jordan is a heartwarming, thoroughly middle school tale of overcoming obstacles, making (and keeping!) friends, and familial love. The dash of fantasy at the end just adds to the delightful whole.Recommended for: fans of Shannon Hale’s Real Friends, Victoria Jamieson’s Roller Girl, and Raina Telgemeier’s books, anyone interested in sports depicted in graphic novels, and readers ages 8+ looking for wholesome, pure-hearted heroines and reads!

Todo me gusto y fue de mucha calidad

With children reading graphic novels this is a winner. A great story and wonderfully illustrated by the author.

As soon as I finished reading this book I wanted to start it all over again!🥰The story of Jordan and Marshmallow is so cute, adorable and bittersweet (that ending made me tear a bit🥲), plus the illustrations completely fit with their tale, so stunning by themselves that it's impossible not to linger on each one!😍I loved to read about Jordan, her strength, her compassion, her loyalty and how much focus she has to reach her dreams and help her team! Marshmallow is also an adorable and warm character, helping Jordan to reach her full potential and giving her the confidence and support when she most needed it, while also dealing with his own insecurities and fears. I just wanted to pick them both and take them home with me!❤️Everything in this book was spotless, from the characters, to the illustrations and incredible extras in the end!🤗This was exactly the story I needed to read at this point of my life, a story about a disabled girl that learns how to live with her new condition and gets to fulfill her dreams at competing on a sports team, even if it's not the one she originally started with! Life can through you some balls, but with the right motivation and a great support team behind you, there's nothing you can't do, and that's exactly what "Marshmallow and Jordan" taught me through their sincere and warming friendship.💓A book that will give you warm fellings and cozy vibes all over, a story to end and start all over again simply because you can't get enough of it!❤️Crossing my fingers the author might do a second volume to Jordan's and Marshmallow story, cause I would definitely love to read more about them!🙏