Jam is for Eating
Jess Mountfield
Flying Eye Books

Benny is a bat and having achieved his ambition – to make the most perfect jam ever – he cannot wait to share it with his friends. He loads his cart with jars of strawberry jam and sets out to do just that, after all there’s nothing quite like the joy of sharing something homemade with others.

The first friend he meets is Filbert the Frog: Filbert loves the smell of the jam and is happy to receive a jar but Benny isn’t happy with what Filbert does with it. On he goes to find Poppy the Pig, followed by in turn, Gilbert the Goose, Beatrice the Bug, Stew the Shrew and Frankie the Fox, all of whom are pleased to receive a jar but by this time, Benny is exasperated. Every one of his friends appears to have another use for Benny’s jam; however clever these might be, not a single one has chosen to eat it.

Come the end of the day a very sulky Benny sits alone, eats a little jam and decides that his jam-making days are over, declaring this out loud. Then who should appear but Filbert wanting to know what Benny is up to.

He’s amazed at his friend’s reply, as are Benny’s other pals who suddenly appear too. Is Benny big-hearted enough to share that final jar with them all, as well as accepting that his confection could have multiple uses?

Be they divergent thinkers or just plain ignorant, Benny’s friends may just be instrumental in changing the bat’s mind about making more jam.

A sweet story with themes of friendship and acceptance illustrated for the most part in somewhat sombre hues. I love the details in every spread – the more you look the more you find – and I wonder what that worm thinks about Benny’s jam.