Book Bunnies

Caramel reviews Spy Penguins: Golden Egg by Sam Hay

The book bunnies naturally love bunnies, but the whole family also has a special place in their hearts for penguins. And many children’s book authors seem to agree that penguins make great characters. Caramel has already reviewed several books about them; see Penguin and Pinecone: A Friendship Story by Salina Yoon, Penguins Hate Stuff by Greg Stones, And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, Penguin Pete by Marcus Pfister, and The Trouble with Penguins by Rebecca Jordan-Glum. (Even Marshmallow has reviewed one; see Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater.) Today Caramel is talking to Sprinkles about another book with penguin heroes: Spy Penguins: Golden Egg, written by Sam Hay and illustrated by Marek Jagucki.

Caramel reviews Spy Penguins: Golden Egg, written by Sam Hay and illustrated by Marek Jagucki. — Caramel reviews *Spy Penguins: Golden Egg*, written by Sam Hay and illustrated by Marek Jagucki.

Sprinkles: Okay Caramel, you got this chapter book a while ago, and finally you decided to talk about it for the blog. Perhaps we just needed to finish all the dragon books in the house first.

Caramel: Yup. And don’t forget pangolin books!

S: I guess those dragons and pangolins are always going to be your favorites. But it seems that penguins come quite close.

C: Yes, penguins might be possibly my third favorite creatures. But if you include robots, then maybe penguins might be fourth on my list. Still I like them a lot.

S: I know. You already reviewed several books for the blog about them. But let us focus on this one now. What is Spy Penguins: Golden Egg about?

C: It is about two penguins named Jackson and Quigley, who want to be spies. They are young though; at least Jackson is still living with his parents. Still, they want to join the FBI and solve crimes.

S: What is the FBI? Is it the Federal Bureau of Investigation?

C: No, no, no! It is the Frosty Bureau of Investigation!

S: Hmm, this kind of reminds me of the book N.E.R.D.S. that you reviewed a while back. There, too, you had a bunch of characters who were solving crimes.

C: Yes, Jackson and Quigley also have gadgets and gizmos, like the kids from N.E.R.D.S. But they are penguins and actually they are too young for the FBI. Still they try to solve crimes. Even when they are told not to. Which is kind of like Harry Potter, who never listens to the grownups in his life.

S: I know, right? It seems that a lot of book characters don’t listen to the grownups in their lives and get mixed up in all sorts of things. But sometimes they turn out to be fun and exciting. So tell me what kinds of crimes are Jackson and Quigley working to solve?

C: In this book, there is a criminal named Icejob, who has escaped from prison. And the two spy penguins try to find him.

S: And what is the golden egg in the title?

C: There is a game called the Golden Egg Games, which is kind of like the Olympics. It happens every ten years. And the winner, the caretaker and the egg, get rewarded.

S: Wait, so you are supposed to run or do some athletic stuff with an egg??

C: Pretty much. And Jackson is taking care of his sibling egg because his mom is sick. And so the two of them, Jackson and the egg, play in the Golden Egg Games, and —

S: Hey! No big spoilers! How is the Golden Egg game related to the criminal Icejob?

C: Well, Icejob steals the Golden Egg and the egg which is supposed to become Jackson’s sibling.

S: So is the Golden Egg like a trophy you get when you win the Golden Egg Games?

C: No. It is a giant golden egg, and the winners’ names are written on it.

S: Hmm. Kind of like the record of the history of the games, then?

C: Yes, I think you could say that.

Caramel is reading Spy Penguins: Golden Egg, written by Sam Hay and illustrated by Marek Jagucki. — Caramel is reading *Spy Penguins: Golden Egg*, written by Sam Hay and illustrated by Marek Jagucki.

S: Hmm, this all sounds quite fun and exciting. I’m guessing those two words might be some of your words for this book, am I right?

C: Yep. I’d say, fun, exciting, and funny. And there are neat pictures in the book, too.

S: I can see you liked the book Caramel. Did you know this was one of a series of books about these two penguins?

C: Yes. This is apparently book three in a series.

S: Did you know it when you began to read the book?

C: Not really, but you figure it out soon enough. It did say some things about some characters and events from the earlier books.

S: Hmm, but it seemed like you still enjoyed the book, even though you had not read the first two books.

C: Yes. I think you could definitely enjoy this without having read the first two books. But now I want to read them!

S: We’ll see if we can find copies to get in your paws some time Caramel.

C: And this third book kind of ends with a cliffhanger. What I mean is that there is some new mystery that we learn about.

S: Kind of like in The Menagerie, then.

C: Right. The main story of this book is finished, but there are hints about the next adventure, and I want to learn more!

S: I don’t know if there will be a fourth book though, Caramel. I did not see anything about it online. So maybe the author might have been thinking of writing a fourth book, but I’m not sure if she ended up doing so.

C: Oh I hope she does! I want to read more about these spy penguins!

S: I can see that! But perhaps this is a good time to wrap up this review. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: First I want to say to the author: please please please write a fourth book. And then maybe some more!

S: Okay… And to our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Spy Penguins: Golden Egg, written by Sam Hay and illustrated by Marek Jagucki, and he is hoping that these two fun-loving penguins will have many more adventures together. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Spy Penguins: Golden Egg*, written by Sam Hay and illustrated by Marek Jagucki, and he is hoping that these two fun-loving penguins will have many more adventures together.

Marshmallow reviews Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Marshmallow has been reviewing the illustrated editions of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series for the book bunnies blog. In the past few years she has read and reviewed the first four books, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, all written by J.K. Rowling and illustrated by Jim Kay. This week, when the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, finally appeared in the illustrated version, Marshmallow was able to get her paws on a copy and reread it once more. Below is her review of this book.

Marshmallow reviews Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, written by J.K. Rowling and illustrated by Jim Kay and Neil Packer. — Marshmallow reviews *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, written by J.K. Rowling and illustrated by Jim Kay and Neil Packer.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about magic and friendship, or if you have enjoyed the previous Harry Potter books, then this might be the book for you. (If you have not read any of the first four books yet, you might be better off starting from the beginning.)

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Harry Potter is a teenage boy who discovered on his eleventh birthday that he was a wizard (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone). Since then his life has been transformed as he attends the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Not to mention that he is extremely famous as the boy who survived when Lord Voldemort, the Wizarding World’s most infamous villain, tried to kill him. When Voldemort failed to kill him, it was believed that the curse he released on Harry rebounded and killed Voldemort instead. However, in the four years Harry has attended Hogwarts, Voldemort has made several attempts to return. His first few attempts, chronicled in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, were eventually foiled, but unfortunately, last year, in the climax of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, he succeeded. So at the beginning of this book, Lord Voldemort is back.

The bad part, besides the whole “worst wizard in the world has returned” part, is that the Wizarding World refuses to believe Harry when he tries to convince them that Voldemort is back, since he was the only witness to Voldemort’s return who is not working for Voldemort, and as expected, none of the others are talking. The entire Wizarding World believes now that Harry is no longer the miraculous boy who lived, but instead he is a nutjob conspiracist. Dumbledore, Hogwart’s headmaster, supported Harry’s claim and is now being demoted, with people insisting that he must be going senile.

Since Harry only attends Hogwarts during the school year, he must spend most of the summer at the house of his aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon (with his obnoxious, bullying cousin Dudley). Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon despise magic as they are Muggles, or un-magical people, like the rest of us. (Harry’s parents were both wizards, but they were killed the night that Harry survived Voldemort’s curse.) Whenever Harry stays at his aunt and uncle’s, he is cut off entirely from the world of magic. Generally, his best friends, Ron and Hermione, send letters, but this summer, Harry only receives cryptic messages from them, saying that they are not allowed to tell him too much about what they are doing.

Marshmallow is reading *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, written by J.K. Rowling and illustrated by Jim Kay and Neil Packer.

Harry is thus feeling rather lonely and unhappy, when his predicament is much worsened by a sudden dementor attack. Dementors are foul creatures that feed on the despair of humans and can suck souls. Harry must use a spell to stop them from doing just that to his cousin Dudley (despite the fact that he hates him). However, underage wizards (like Harry) are forbidden from using magic in front of Muggles. As a result, Harry receives messages that inform him that he is to be tried for his behavior. So far it seems that everything is against him, and it is about to get a whole lot worse.

Marshmallow’s Review: I have loved all of the Harry Potter books I have read (as well as pretty much every book written about this Wizarding World). The author has created a magical but realistic world with unique characters and undetectable plots. This fifth book is no exception.

As Harry is getting older, his world is becoming more and more dangerous, and the story is getting a lot scarier. Though I enjoyed this book immensely, and I watched the movie version with much excitement, I’d definitely urge caution for younger bunnies who might not yet be ready for this much tension.

The original version of the book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, was already amazing, but this illustrated version is even more special. It is beautifully drawn by Jim Kay together with Neil Packer, filled with images and drawings relating to the story. The characters and events are portrayed in large, detailed drawings, each page is different, and I enjoyed diving into the images when I took my eyes away from the words.

The Order of the Phoenix is the longest of the seven Harry Potter books, so this illustrated version is a really big book, almost like an encyclopedia volume. But it is beautiful to behold. I very much enjoyed returning once more to Harry’s world in this illustrated edition.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, written by J.K. Rowling and illustrated by Jim Kay and Neil Packer, 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, written by J.K. Rowling and illustrated by Jim Kay and Neil Packer, 100%.

Caramel reviews Pangolins by Lisa Fanton

Last week, when Caramel was reviewing the four books that make up the Endangered and Misunderstood series, he remembered one of his new favorite nonfiction books: Pangolins, a 2019 book written by Lisa Fanton full of amazing full-page photos and many inspirational quotes, as well as a lot of interesting facts about these intriguing little creatures. That is why he chose to discuss this book today in his blog post. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, after last week, having talked about that pangopup in Adventures of a Pangopup, I had a feeling you were not done with pangolins. So here we are, talking about a book all about them. Can you first say a few words to introduce the book to our readers?

Caramel: Adventures of a Pangopup was fiction; this book, Pangolins, is nonfiction, all the way. And it has some startling news.

S: What’s this startling news?

C: There are eight species of pangolins around the world, and the news is that all eight are on the red list, which means that they are really in danger of going extinct.

S: Oh no! That’s terrible!

C: Yes! Of the eight species, four live in Africa and four in Asia, and all eight are hunted, almost to extinction. It is terrible.

S: What do people do with pangolins?

C: They kill them and take their scales. They grind them and use them in some traditional medicine and in soups. And some people eat the meat. They are tiny though!

S: Rabbits are small, too, and people eat them, too.

C: Yes, true, I don’t like to think of bunnies like me being eaten, either, but at least bunnies are not going extinct. And these are poor adorable creatures! Did you know their scales are made of keratin, same stuff making your nails and hair?

S: That is cool. And I saw in the book that they are the only mammals whose bodies are covered with scales instead of fur. That is so interesting!

C: Yes! And people hunt them for their scales! And I can’t believe it. If they want keratin, why don’t people use their nails instead? About this, there is a really nice sentence in the book I want to share:

Nobody in the world needs a pangolin scale … except a pangolin.

S: I agree with that sentiment completely Caramel. It seems this book has made you even more passionate about pangolins.

C: Yes! They are so cute! And people should leave them alone!

Caramel is reading Pangolins by Lisa Fanton. — Caramel is reading *Pangolins* by Lisa Fanton.

C: Did you know that pangolins yawn? There is a really cute picture of a pangolin yawning in the book.

S: Yes, the photos in this book are all pretty amazing.

C: They are in full color, taken by professional photographers, and you can see the scales of the pangolins and their faces, too. And some of them are rolled up into a ball. The book says that some people call them walking pinecones and artichokes with legs, and I like those descriptions too.

S: They are quite accurate descriptions, I’d say.

C: But the pangolins are a lot cuter than pinecones or artichoke. And I like pinecones — I even reviewed a book about a pinecone — but I think the pangolins are a lot cuter still. And artichokes are tasty, so I don’t want people to think of pangolins as tasty edible things.

S: I understand that, Caramel.

C: Did you know that if they are caught, they thrash around and might cut the bag they are put in and so on? And when they are scared, they roll up into a ball, which is also very cute. And they fart to defend themselves.

S: They are really weird and really cute animals. And I think this book does a great job of showing how beautiful they can be in their natural habitats.

C: I agree. Here are my three words for this book: Informative, striking, because the photos are striking, and amazing. Because what else could a good book about pangolins be? Pangolins are amazing, and so is this book!

S: I agree, Caramel. I am not as passionate about pangolins as you are, but this book made me like them a lot more. They are really interesting creatures, and beautiful, too, in their own way. I also liked several of the quotes sprinkled throughout the book.

C: Yes, there are lots of nice quotes along with all the facts about pangolins. And that is why I called it informative.

S: Agreed. So do you think other young bunnies should read this book?

C: Yes. Young and old, all bunnies should. Because the pictures are amazing, and the facts are even better. And there are not too many words, so young bunnies can read them too.

S: Again, I agree. So it is about time to wrap up this review then. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading and rereading Pangolins by Lisa Fanton, and recommends it to all other bunnies who love living beings. — Caramel loved reading and rereading *Pangolins* by Lisa Fanton, and recommends it to all other bunnies who love living beings.

Marshmallow reviews Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

Last week while talking about Flowers for Algernon, Marshmallow and Sprinkles touched upon a book by George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four, first published in 1949. This week, Marshmallow thought it might be a good idea if they picked up this book on its own and chatted a bit about it together.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow let us start with a quick recap of the book.

Marshmallow: Okay. Winston Smith, the main character of the book, lives in this weird futuristic world. The year is 1984, but even though 1984 is a long time ago for us today, it was a long time in the future when the book was written. The world Smith lives in is controlled by a government, run by the Party, which has several departments with contradictory names. For example there is the Ministry of Peace which deals with war. The Ministry of Truth deals with information and basically propaganda and the brainwashing of the population. And there is a Ministry of Love and a Ministry of Plenty.

S: I remember the Ministry of Truth and the Ministry of Peace, but I did not remember the Ministry of Plenty and the Ministry of Love. What do they do?

M: Ministry of Plenty deals with economic affairs, and the Ministry of Love deals with law and order.

S: Oh, yes, now I remember the Ministry of Love, of course. It involves the citizens’ love of Big Brother.

M: Yes, it seems that is the main goal of all punishment. It is creepy; everywhere the people are reminded that the Big Brother is watching them.

S: That phrase has now taken on a life of its own; people use the Big Brother to talk about government surveillance, and sometimes even corporate surveillance.

M: Yes, you even have a poster that says “Big Brother Is Watching You” in your office.

S: I think it is a good reminder. Even though we are not living in Winston Smith’s world of Oceania, I think it is always a good idea to remember that everything you do can be tracked, especially these days, especially if you are doing anything online.

M: Sounds a bit paranoid, no?

S: Well, I don’t really mean it quite that way. I mean it is always a good idea to think about what bread crumbs you leave for people out there. And it can always be worse, of course. There are many places in the world today, and there have been many societies throughout the world in all its history, where saying things and doing things that the governing people did not approve of would be met with harsh retaliation. We are quite lucky that we are not living in such a system, but it is always good to keep in mind what could have been or what could eventually come to happen.

M: I guess that is why George Orwell wrote this book, right? To warn us?

S: I think so. He was very concerned about the rise of the totalitarian Soviet regime and wanted to describe what could be its ultimate end point.

Marshmallow is reading Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. — Marshmallow is reading *Nineteen Eighty-Four* by George Orwell.

M: In that way, this book does relate to Orwell’s other book that I reviewed for the blog, Animal Farm. That book, too, was a warning in some ways.

S: I agree. But would you want to open that up a bit?

M: That book was about how power corrupts and how governments can fail to represent their constituents’ needs when they are overtaken by ambitious individuals who manipulate the public to their own advantage. Here, too, power shows up. The Party is very much interested in staying in power. In fact that is part of Winston Smith’s job. At the beginning of the book, he is working at the Ministry of Truth and his job is to change the history and the complete record of things when the Party decides to support an alternative interpretation of the facts or sometimes even alternative facts.

S: That phrase has become quite famous these days too. Right?

M: That’s true! But I am also intrigued by the Party. We don’t ever really know what the Party is. And it is not even clear if there is a rebellious faction or if there is any other country out there, or anything else, any other possibility for the people in this world.

S: The Party’s rule is so complete, isn’t it? When I read this book for the first time, I was flabbergasted by the very end. It shook me, and I could not get over it for a while. I guess the total in totalitarian is real.

M: The thing that really got to me is that everything all goes back to the Party, even the illegal activities seem to be led and facilitated and controlled and crushed by the Party as the Party finds fit. It is so weird.

S: No way out. That is how I felt.

M: Yes, it was pretty hopeless. The overwhelming feeling I got was that if you find yourself in this situation, there is no way of getting out.

S: I guess Orwell wanted to warn us that such a future could happen, and once it did, there would be no way out, so we’d better not get ourselves to that point.

M: Makes sense to me.

S: So having read two of his most famous books, which of Orwell’s two books do you like more?

M: I still like Animal Farm more. I especially liked the fable nature of it. It seems to be about these farm animals, but it is so clearly about humans! And it also showed how even though the animals had good intentions at the beginning, they slowly went astray, in small steps. You could see the development, and it was very depressing, too, but you could see the steps that led them astray and you could see the end result would be pretty terrible. Having read Nineteen Eighty-Four, I think it is basically the end result of Animal Farm.

S: It is also a lot shorter and perhaps a bit easier, right? So would you recommend other bunnies to read either of the books?

M: I think both of them are books everyone should read. They are both heavy, but they point to very important issues. So I’d say to all bunnies that they should read both of the books. Not to depress yourself, but to start seeing possibilities and to try and avoid them. There is some sexual relation stuff in Nineteen Eighty-Four, as we spoke about in my review of Flowers for Algernon (though not as much as there was in that book), so perhaps Animal Farm is more appropriate for younger bunnies. And as you say, that book is shorter than this one, so it would be easier to read for that reason, too.

S: I tend to agree with you Marshmallow. I think we have said enough for one review today. As we wrap it up, tell us how you would rate this book.

M: I’d rate it 95%. Very good book, left me quite disturbed in the end.

S: And what else would you like to say to our readers?

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