The Amazing Meals of Martha Maloney

A tasty treat of a book where a precocious and imaginative child dines with important historical figures.


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.

“If we consider food to be the essential common denominator across time and place, there is endless inspiration in this unique book that I believe will feature in many awards lists this year.”

The Bottom Shelf
Read Plus
An amusing, well-researched and quirky insight into the dietary habits and foibles of significant historical figures. Reading Time
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. Momo Time to Read

Margaret Wild has written books across many genres and has been published around the world. Her numerous awards and distinctions include the Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award for Jenny Angel, illustrated by Anne Spudvilas, The Very Best of Friends, illustrated by Julie Vivas, and Fox, illustrated by Ron Brooks. In 2008 she received the Nan Chauncy Award for an outstanding contribution to children’s literature in Australia. Her book Vampyre, illustrated by Andrew Yeo, was short-listed at the 2011 Aurealis Awards. Margaret has three titles in the Walker Classics series: Going Home and A Bit of Company, both illustrated by Wayne Harris, and Let the Celebrations Begin!, illustrated by Julie Vivas. Margaret received the Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature in 2020.


Dan Wild has been curious for as long as he can remember, with his parents feeding that curiosity by supplying him with astronomy and dinosaur books for most of his birthday presents. Although initially interested in science, he followed the family profession of writing. He has since worked in a variety of communications roles with topics ranging from the environment, urban infrastructure, finance and education. Dan graduated with a degree in English and History and has since cultivated many interests including piano, languages (French and Mandarin) and philosophy. Just when he thought he had enough interests to last a lifetime he rediscovered his fascination with the universe while researching his sci-fi novels. If you’d asked him a year ago if he’d be self-studying calculus and quantum mechanics, he'd have looked at you blankly.


Donna Rawlins was born in Melbourne, Australia. She has worked in Publishing (in house and freelance) as a designer, editor, illustrator and writer since 1979 and has taught (part-time) illustration and graphic design in tertiary and TAFE since 1983. Donna tours and lectures regularly in Australia and internationally, running workshops for students, teachers, librarians and is actively involved in voluntary work dedicated to children’s literature and early childhood intervention for children with special needs. Her classic picture book, My Place (1987), written by Nadia Wheatley, is a classic bestseller and her extraordinary book, Waves (2018), is a migration story for readers of all ages.

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