Marigold finds the magic words by Mike Malbrough

Marigold, the grumpy orange cat from Marigold bakes a cake returns for his birthday. Marigold has baked an amazing cake and is ready to entertain all his animal friends with magic tricks for his birthday. But those bedeviling birds are back again and no matter what magic words he uses, he just can't get rid of them! Being Marigold, he eventually loses his temper and makes EVERYONE disappear - including his friends. Marigold realizes he just needs a few magic words to get his friends (and, unfortunately, the birds) back again.

Pudgy orange Marigold goes through a wide variety of emotions, mostly ranging from frustration to anger with a side of embarrassment when he makes his clothes disappear! and kids are certain to giggle along with the show. The colorful birds explode chaotically across the page and Marigold's magic is richly and wildly illustrated.

Verdict: I like the first Marigold story better, with its surprise ending, but this one with a more traditional ending; Marigold discovering he needs his friends and needs to say "please" and "thank you" will probably appeal more to most caregivers. Kids will just like the part where Marigold ends up in his underwear!

ISBN: 9781524737436; Published March 2019 by Philomel/Penguin; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library