Book Bunnies

Caramel reviews The Great Texas Dragon Race by Kacy Ritter

Caramel loves dragons and has read and reviewed several books about them for the book bunnies blog through the years. Today he talks to Sprinkles about a new book about dragons: The Great Texas Dragon Race by Kacy Ritter, published in 2023. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

The book bunnies received this book as a review copy.

Caramel reviews The Great Texas Dragon Race by Kacy Ritter. — Caramel reviews *The Great Texas Dragon Race* by Kacy Ritter.

Sprinkles: Can you start by telling us a bit about the book?

Caramel: This is a fiction book about a thirteen-year-old dragon rider named Cassidy Drake and her dragon Ranga.

S: I can see it is fiction! So this is a girl who is riding a dragon, and from the title, I am guessing that there is a race involved.

C: Yes. She wants to participate in the Great Texas Dragon Race and then she tries to win it.

S: I see. So the story is actually taking place in this continent, and there is still a place named Texas. But I don’t think there are dragons in our Texas.

C: No. I said it was fiction!

S: I see. Okay, I’ll be quiet. Go on.

C: So Cassidy’s family owns a dragon ranch, and Ranga is one of their dragons. It is like an animal shelter, except for dragons.

S: Kind of reminds me of The Menagerie.

C: Yeah, except that everyone knows about dragons in this book. In The Menagerie, the magical creatures were kind of a secret to most people.

S: Okay. So are the dragons magical here too?

C: Yes. They can breathe fire and they can fly. Of course. But they don’t talk. They are like giant dogs, like big friendly pets. Well, not all of them are friendly. But Ranga is.

S: I see. So tell me a bit more about the race. Is it common for young people like Cassidy to race in it?

C: No. I think she is the youngest. But she really wants to do it because her family needs the prize money. It is a lot of money.

S: I see. So does Cassidy face some obstacles trying to get into the race and then while in the race?

C: Yes, exactly.

Caramel is reading The Great Texas Dragon Race by Kacy Ritter. — Caramel is reading *The Great Texas Dragon Race* by Kacy Ritter.

S: So tell me a bit more about the book. Who is narrating the story?

C: Cassidy herself is narrating. So it is all in first person. And it is all in present tense.

S: Oh, that probably makes things sound more urgent and exciting, right?

C: Yes it is very exciting.

S: So would “exciting” be one of your words to describe the book?

C: Yes. So I’d describe it as “an exciting adventure with dragons”.

S: It sounds like this was just the right fit for you!

C: Yup. I wish the author would write more about Cassidy and Ranga.

S: I am sure you would read that book too.

C: Yup.

S: I think you really enjoyed this book. You grabbed it from my paws as soon as it arrived and then you did not put it down until you finished. So did you like Cassidy? Did you like Ranga? Would you have liked to fly with them?

C: I liked them, but I am not sure I’d fly with them. It can be dangerous for a little bunny. They also don’t seem to be the safest flyers in the world. But they are the fastest!

S: Hmm, are you telling me that they win the race?

C: No. I am not spoiling anything. Don’t push me!

S: Okay, I won’t. So maybe we should wrap things up. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading The Great Texas Dragon Race by Kacy Ritter and hopes that there will be more books about these characters. — Caramel loved reading *The Great Texas Dragon Race* by Kacy Ritter and hopes that there will be more books about these characters.

Marshmallow reviews Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

Today Marshmallow reviews Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel, published first in 2006. Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: I know you enjoy reading graphic novels, Marshmallow, so I thought this book might be right up your alley. Let us talk about it. Can you tell our readers first what the book is about?

Marshmallow: The book is about Alison Bechdel herself, who is a cartoon artist. The story is about her growing up and figuring out her sexual orientation and coming out to her parents.

S: That is a pretty serious topic.

M: It is. But it is not all. There is also the fact that her father is also gay, and she eventually figures this out and wants to feel close to him, similar to him.

S: So why is the book called Fun Home?

M: Because her family is running a funeral home, and when they talk of the business, they jokingly call their home the fun home.

S: Is the book funny?

M: I did not think that was the main point of the book. It is essentially a memoir, the artist coming to terms with her sexuality and her family.

S: So the themes seem to me to be more appropriate for older bunnies, would you agree?

M: Yes, probably high school or above. There is some somewhat explicit sexual content, and there is some mention of drug use as well. Caramel wanted to read it too, but I think he might not yet be ready for it.

S: Hmm, I see. Did you know that the book was banned in some places because it was deemed to be immoral?

M: I could imagine. A lot of books about different sexual orientations seem to bother a lot of people.

Marshmallow is reading Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel. — Marshmallow is reading *Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic* by Alison Bechdel.

S: Did you know this book was made into a Broadway musical?

M: It says so on the cover of the book. So we looked it up and found some of the songs. It apparently won lots of awards! I also remember that Alison Bechdel appeared in a Simpsons episode we saw recently, the one where Lisa and Marge write a graphic novel called Sad Girl.

S: Yes, that is true. And the Bechdel test was mentioned in that episode, too, do you remember? Do you know what the Bechdel test is?

M: Wikipedia says that it is “a measure of the representation of women in film and other fiction. The test asks whether a work features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. The requirement that the two women be named is sometimes added.” That Simpsons episode talked about that too.

S: It is a neat idea, isn’t it?

M: And kind of sad that it is a thing actually.

S: Agreed. Anyways, back to Fun Home. All in all, I am glad you read this book, and we got to talk about it. It is an important book in many ways.

M: I can appreciate that. But I do think it is not very suitable for young bunnies.

S: I get it. So if you were to rate it what would you rate it as?

M: I’d rate it 90%. It is well written, well drawn, and tells an important story. But it is not quite appropriate for young bunnies, and parents and other adults responsible for young bunnies should read it before sharing with their young ones.

S: Fair enough. So let us wrap up this review. What would you like to tell our readers?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel 90%. — Marshmallow rates *Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic* by Alison Bechdel 90%.

Caramel reviews Easy Aircraft Origami by Jayson Merrill

Today Caramel reviews Easy Aircraft Origami, a book by Jayson Merrill first published in 2020. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, tell us a bit about this book.

Caramel: So this book has fourteen different planes that you can make that are supposedly easier than some other possible origami.

S: I hear a “but” coming.

C: Yep, you do! So the book says the projects are easy and for “less experienced folders”, but some of them are actually hard. Marshmallow is the most experienced origamist in our home, but even she had difficulty with the Razorback, which looks really cool, but I don’t really know how it flies because I still have not been able to make one.

S: Hmm, I see. So some of them are really hard. But why are we reviewing this book then? Did you at least make some of the planes?

C: Well, I tried to make some of them. For example I tried to make Hex, but I failed several times on my own. Then we made it together, you and me, and then it worked!

S: Yes, we had to be a bit careful and so on, but we did make it in the end. And it flies really well, doesn’t it?

C: But it was hard to fold the paper that many times.

S: I think our paper was a bit thick. If we had used thinner paper, maybe it could have been easier.

C: I guess. But we used a pretty large paper, and it was thick, but it folded well. And the plane is big, too, so I am happy with the paper.

S: No problem then, as long as you are happy!

Caramel is reading Easy Aircraft Origami by Jayson Merrill. — Caramel is reading *Easy Aircraft Origami* by Jayson Merrill.

S: So it seems to me that even though some of the projects are hard, you are probably not giving up on the book any time soon.

C: No, I’m not. The Hex flies so well that I am thinking I want to make all of them. But I might need help.

S: I know. Marshmallow and I can help you if you want.

C: That would be good.

S: I saw that among the fourteen projects there are two which are circular; they do not look at all like paper planes.

C: Yes, they are called Stratus and Cirrus. They kind of look like frisbees.

S: I thought they looked like UFOs.

C: I guess that works too. If someone saw them flying and didn’t know what they were, they would really be UFOs. Unidentified Flying Objects, get it?

S: Yep. Do you know what Stratus and Cirrus are?

C: No.

S: They are types of clouds.

C: I did not know that.

S: This page describes the cirrus clouds as “wispy, feathery, and composed entirely of ice crystals”. Apparently they occur higher in the atmosphere and are often “the first sign of an approaching warm front or upper-level jet streak”.

C: That is interesting. What about stratus clouds?

S: The page says that stratus clouds show up in the lower levels of the atmosphere, closer to the ground, and they are “uniform and flat, producing a
gray layer of cloud cover which may be precipitation-free or may cause periods of light precipitation or drizzle”.

C: I knew that clouds looked different from one another but I did not know that the different kinds had names. That’s cool!

S: I agree! But so these two circular ones are named after clouds. Does that make sense to you?

C: Yes. Because maybe the names mean that they will go high as the clouds.

S: We can only hope! So it is about time to wrap up this review Caramel. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel has enjoyed reading Easy Aircraft Origami by Jayson Merrill and is planning to make many of the aircraft projects in it in the coming weeks. — Caramel has enjoyed reading *Easy Aircraft Origami* by Jayson Merrill and is planning to make many of the aircraft projects in it in the coming weeks.

Marshmallow reviews The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds

A couple years ago, Caramel reviewed Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid, a 2005 book written by Megan McDonald and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. Soon after, Marshmallow reviewed Judy Moody Goes to College, yet another book written by McDonald and illustrated by Reynolds. But Peter Reynolds is not just an illustrator who works on other people’s books; he has his own books as well. Today Marshmallow reviews one of his most cherished books, The Dot, on its twentieth anniversary. Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, can you tell us a bit about this book?

Marshmallow: This is a book about creativity and artistic expression, even when you do not think you have it in you to be creative.

S: That is a neat recap of this book Marshmallow. So maybe let us go a bit into details. What exactly is the plot?

M: There is a little kid named Vashti and she thinks she cannot draw. So at the end of art class, her paper is still empty. And her teacher says, just make a mark and see where it takes you. And so she does. She stabs the paper and makes a dot.

S: Okay, then what happens?

M: Her teacher tells her to sign it.

S: Just a dot?

M: Yes.

S: Then what happens?

M: Well, I don’t want to give away the full story, but her teacher supports Vashti by showing that she values Vashti’s work even when Vashti does not think much of it. And then Vashti gets inspired to create more and more. And in the end, we see her encouraging another young person like her, who believes they are not creative at all, by telling them to “just make a mark and see where it takes you”.

S: So the idea is that you just get started, and then things go from there. Right?

M: Yep. You do not have to feel creative, you do not have to think you know what you are doing. But just get started, and just make your mark. The rest will follow.

Marshmallow is reading The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. — Marshmallow is reading *The Dot* by Peter H. Reynolds.

S: The author / illustrator dedicated this book to Mr. Matson, his seventh grade math teacher who “dared” him “to make [his] mark”. So even though the book is about art, it could be seen as a fable that is about any other thing we are not confident about, no?

M: Yes, I think so. I think the book is really inspiring.

S: I agree. What do you think of the illustrations and the visual aspects of the book?

M: I really like Peter Reynolds’ style. It is very simple, minimalistic, and sparse. But with the very few strokes of his pen, he draws really effective images.

S: Agreed.

M: I also like the way he uses color. Most of the book is in black and white but there are several well-placed splashes of color, which bring attention to specific items on the page. They add a lot to the feel of the whole book. By the way, the illustrations were apparently done with water color, ink, and tea. I wonder how he uses tea.

S: I have no idea!

M: I would like to know. But anyways, all in all I think this is a really neat book.

S: I agree. But Marshmallow, this is a picture book, and you do not review picture books much anymore. Do you perhaps not think this is for young bunnies only?

M: No, I think it can be inspirational for any bunny. Everyone needs some encouragement now and then.

S: Alright, that works for me. Maybe it is time to wrap up this review. What do you want to tell our readers?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow enjoyed reading The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds and recommends it to all bunnies little and big who need a little bit of courage to get started. — Marshmallow enjoyed reading *The Dot* by Peter H. Reynolds and recommends it to all bunnies little and big who need a little bit of courage to get started.