Reviews – Page 61 – BookBunnies

Caramel reviews Narwhalicorn and Jelly by Ben Clanton

Caramel’s first review ever for the book bunnies blog was the first book of Ben Clanton’s Narwhal and Jelly series, Narwhal: The Unicorn of the Sea! Since then, he has reviewed five more books in the series: Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Narwhal’s Otter Friend, Happy Narwhalidays, and Narwhal’s School of Awesomeness. Today he talks about the seventh book in the series: Narwhalicorn and Jelly. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, it has been a while since we talked about Narwhal and Jelly. What are they up to in this book?

Caramel: Narwhal becomes a unicorn and his name is now Narwhalicorn.

S: That is the title of the book! But wait, how does he become a unicorn?

C: I think he wishes it upon a star and it happens.

S: Hmm, that is interesting. But unicorns live on land.

C: Yes, I know. And so he goes out of the water, on land, and Jelly comes along, though not exactly willingly.

S: But how does Jelly breathe out of the water?

C: He gets a bowl. A fish bowl. They call it a jellyfish bowl.

S: I guess that makes sense. Then is most of the book out of the water this time?

C: Yep.

S: Now the earlier books in the series always had a lot of fun facts about ocean life. Does this book have any facts like that too?

C: Yes it does.

S: About unicorns?

C: Real unicorns.

S: Wait, are there real unicorns? My understanding for all these years was that there are no real unicorns.

C: They mean things with one horn. Like there is something called a Siberian Unicorn. It was a rhino but went extinct.

S: Hmm, I did not know about those.

C: I did. I think we saw them in the Walking With Prehistoric Beasts documentary.

S: Oh, I must have forgotten. But I watched that series only once. I know you and Marshmallow have seen it several times.

C: Yep. We love that documentary!

Caramel is reading Narwhalicorn and Jelly by Ben Clanton. — Caramel is reading *Narwhalicorn and Jelly* by Ben Clanton.

S: Okay, back to Narwhal and Jelly. Did you like this book as much as the earlier ones?

C: Yes!

S: I know you have been reading other types of books these days, so I was wondering if you felt like this was too childish for you.

C: Narwhal and Jelly can never be too childish for me! I kind of feel like they are my friends.

S: In some sense they are. You started reviewing books with their first adventure. And you love facts, too, so these books were right up your alley.

C: Yes, and they still are. This book is also factful. And funny.

S: Okay, so I know already two of the three words you would use to describe this book. What is a third one?

C: Unicorny.

S: Do you mean it is corny? Not sure that is a good word.

C: No. I said unicorny and I meant unicorny. It has unicorns, so it is unicorny. Get it?

S: I guess I do. So Narwhal and Jelly find out about all kinds of other animals with single horns?

C: Yes.

S: Sounds good. So you know that there will be an eighth book from Narwhal and Jelly soon, right?

C: Yep, and you know that I will have to read it!

S: Okay, we will find a way to get a copy. Don’t worry.

C: Good. It is about Halloween, I think, so maybe we can review it around Halloween this year.

S: Makes sense to me! Okay, let us wrap up this review then. What would you like to tell our readers Caramel?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading Narwhalicorn and Jelly by Ben Clanton and cannot wait to read the eighth book in the series as soon as it comes out. — Caramel loved reading *Narwhalicorn and Jelly* by Ben Clanton and cannot wait to read the eighth book in the series as soon as it comes out.

Marshmallow reviews The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro

As a big Rick Riordan fan, Marshmallow could not pass on the opportunity to read a new book about the world of Greek and Roman demigods he created. Today she shares with us her thoughts on The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro, which came out this month. Sprinkles is asking questions and taking notes.

Marshmallow reviews The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro. — Marshmallow reviews *The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure*, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, as far as I understand, this is supposed to be the story of the quest hinted at at the end of The Tower of Nero, which was the fifth and last book of the Trials of Apollo series and which you reviewed almost a year ago. Did you need to reread the series or at least that last book before you dove into this one?

Marshmallow: Well, it might have been a good idea I guess, but honestly, I did not reread anything. I just dove right in.

S: But at least you already knew who Nico di Angelo and Will Solace were, right? So should readers know them before they read this book?

M: I think it would be good to have read some of the earlier Rick Riordan books, so that you would know some of the characters, and the general thrust of the world they are living in, but the plot of this book is solid enough and can stand on its own, so I think one could actually enjoy this one on its own. Of course you would get much more out of it if you had read all of the other books before.

S: Okay, so let us talk about that plot. What is happening? And tell us in a sentence or so who Nico and Will are.

M: So these books are always about adventures of certain demigods. That means that the heroes are always children of one of the Greek or Roman gods or goddesses. So Nico is a son of Hades, and Will is a son of Apollo. And they fell in love some time in the third or fourth book of the Trials of Apollo series, and they are already a couple in this book.

S: Okay, now we know the main characters. And what is the quest they are on?

M: They are going to save Bob from Tartarus. Bob is a Titan but he eventually became friends with Percy Jackson and helped him and his friends but now is taken prisoner and so needs saving.

S: That sounds dangerous.

M: It is. There are many monsters and evil spirits that they have to fight along the way. And the place itself, Tartarus, is trying to kill them. Or rather driving them insane, by making them lose all hope and such. And Nico, being a son of Hades, already feels pretty dark and unpleasant feelings. Will calls him his “little grumpy ball of darkness”, or something. And Will is of course so opposite, always bright and cheery. Not to mention he can glow! But in this book he needs to also figure out the darkness in himself.

S: Ooh, that sounds intriguing.

M: Yes, Sprinkles, I think you should probably read the book some time.

S: I just might.

Marshmallow is reading The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro. — Marshmallow is reading *The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure*, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro.

S: So overall what did you think? Two authors writing a book together is not that common. I know Caramel reviewed The Menagerie series by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland, but other than that, I don’t think we reviewed any fiction authored by more than one person.

M: I did review one book like that: To Night Owl From Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer. But you are right, I have not read too many other books like this one. And this book, especially the first half of it, did not sound like Rick Riordan’s other books. So it was clear it was not only him.

S: I understand that Riordan wanted to share this task with Mark Oshiro because the book centers two gay characters and he did not want to assume their perspective as a straight man himself. I think that is a good thing, but of course he also wrote several books where he told the story from the points of view of female characters.

M: I guess a lot of men write from female perspectives. And lots of women write from male perspectives. I’m thinking of the Harry Potter series for example.

S: I guess it is good that he was being thoughtful. It makes sense that he felt out of his element when thinking about a relationship of two young men and wanted to be careful.

M: Anyways in the end, the book turned out pretty good.

S: So you clearly enjoyed it. You did finish it rather quickly, and after all, it is more than 450 pages.

M: Yep. It was scary at times, and a bit mushier than some of the other books, but it was a lot of fun.

S: So how would you rate it?

M: I’d rate it 100%.

S: Sounds great! I will then have to borrow it from you for a while.

M: Sure.

S: And in the meantime, what would you like to tell our readers?

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

Marshmallow rates The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure*, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro 100%.

Caramel reviews Be the Bus by Mo Willems

Caramel, just like the rest of the book bunnies, loves Mo Willems’s Pigeon, and he has already reviewed one of his adventures, The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!, for the blog. Today, he talks about the brand new Pigeon book, Be The Bus: The Lost & Profound Wisdom of the Pigeon as told to Mo Willems, published this year, 2023, which is also the twentieth anniversary of the very first Pigeon book: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Caramel reviews Be The Bus: The Lost & Profound Wisdom of the Pigeon as told to Mo Willems, by Mo Willems. — Caramel reviews *Be The Bus: The Lost & Profound Wisdom of the Pigeon as told to Mo Willems*, by Mo Willems.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, when I heard of this book, I knew you would want to read it. Even though it is supposedly meant for grownups.

Caramel: I am sure grownups can enjoy it, too, but I really liked it. So I don’t think it is only for grownups.

S: I agree with you Caramel. It definitely fits the adult humor genre, kind of in the spirit of Penguins Hate Stuff by Greg Stones, which you have reviewed a while ago. But it is also perfectly hilarious for little bunnies like you, and there is nothing too adult there, I feel.

C: Well, there is no mushy stuff for starters, and that is good.

S: Yep, nothing like that.

C: It’s just the Pigeon saying stuff. He says for example “I’m not susceptible to flattery. Unless it is about me.” I think that is funny.

S: Yes. I thought all of it was hilarious. The Pigeon says the funniest things. What was your favorite?

C: I don’t think I have a favorite. They are all funny.

S: I did hear you laugh out loud.

C: Yep. LOL.

S: Hmm, now you speak textspeak?

C: Well, I just said what you said.

S: Okay then.

C: The Pigeon is really wise. He says that it is better to say “I love you more than ever” than “I used to love you less.” And it is true. The two sentences say the same thing. But the first one does sound much better than the second.

S: Yes, I took a photo of you with that page. Let me put it right here.

Caramel is reading Be The Bus: The Lost & Profound Wisdom of the Pigeon as told to Mo Willems, by Mo Willems. — Caramel is reading *Be The Bus: The Lost & Profound Wisdom of the Pigeon as told to Mo Willems*, by Mo Willems.

S: So all in all, which three words would you use to describe this book Caramel?

C: Colorful, hilarious, and profoundly wise.

S: I see what you did there Caramel! You picked out the word “profound” from the title of the book!

C: Yep. Guilty as charged. I guess.

S: And some of the advice is on target, don’t you think?

C: Some of it, yes. The “I love you more than ever” one is clever. And there is another one like that, that I liked, too. and that is true: you should say “You are one in a million!” rather than saying “there are 7,960 other people like you!” Because if you are one in a million on a planet with 7.9 billion people, then the second sentence is right, too, but it does not sound so good.

S: Yes, and there are some quite wacky thoughts in the book, too, no?

C: Yes. Here is one: “Genius is seldom recognized. That is why I wear a name tag.” And the name tag says “Hello. I’m a genius.” So that is kind of wacky.

S: I agree. The Pigeon is definitely not a very modest creature.

C: That’s true. I’m sure nobody ever claimed he was.

S: So we read almost all the Pigeon books.

C: Yes, all except the one with the duckling and the cookie. We just saw that one in a YouTube video.

S: Yes.

C: Can we put the video here in this post?

S: Sure. Here it is.

The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? by Mo Willems | A Pigeon Read Aloud – from YouTube.

S: So do you think you are done with the Pigeon?

C: No. Never! I like the Pigeon and I like reading and rereading his funny adventures. And now there is this short book, too, so maybe Mo Willems will continue to write more Pigeon stories, and we can read them, too.

S: Yes, who knows? So maybe this is a good time to wrap this review up. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading Be The Bus: The Lost & Profound Wisdom of the Pigeon as told to Mo Willems, by Mo Willems, and recommends it to all the bunnies who know and love the Pigeon. — Caramel loved reading *Be The Bus: The Lost & Profound Wisdom of the Pigeon as told to Mo Willems*, by Mo Willems, and recommends it to all the bunnies who know and love the Pigeon.

Marshmallow reviews Fall of the School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Last June, Marshmallow reviewed Rise of the School for Good and Evil, the first of the two prequels Soman Chainani wrote for his School for Good and Evil hexalogy. And this week, finally, she was able to get her paws on the second prequel book, Fall of the School for Good and Evil, fresh off the press (the book just came out on May 2, 2023). Below, she shares her thoughts on this long-awaited book.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about fairy tales, friendship, family, or any of Soman Chainani’s other books, then this might be the book for you. But to understand the book fully, you should probably have read (or checked out my reviews of) some of the other School for Good and Evil books. For example check out The School for Good and Evil, the very first book that started this whole saga, or the book right before this one: Rise of the School for Good and Evil.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Twins Rafal and Rhian rule the School for Good and Evil (a school that trains children to be in fairy tales) together. Rafal is the evil twin, and Rhian is the good twin. Their two contradicting souls, bound by their love for each other, balance the school and allow them to serve as School Masters. That is until they start having problems and tensions rise between them. If their bond does not last, they will both lose the immortality and magic given to them by the Storian.

Fall of the School for Good and Evil starts off when the twins go to Gavaldon to find new students for their school after losing several of their best ones. Gavaldon is a town outside of the magic of the woods, and the townspeople are called Readers. Gavaldon is not magical, but its inhabitants read the stories and fairy tales that happen in the woods. Their children read of magic, unaware that it is real. Rafal hopes that this will make them more effective and excited students, as opposed to the children who come from the kingdoms in the woods who have grown up with magic their entire lives.

Upon visiting Gavaldon, Rhian selects a Reader named Midas and takes him to be a new student at his School for Good. Rafal also picks a Reader to take to his School for Evil, but unfortunately, this person betrays him; Rafal is captured and accused of being a witch. Luckily, the brothers manage to escape with Midas. When they return to the School for Good and Evil, the twins discover their immortality is fading. They fear losing their powers and immortality. But a new division has started with Midas; each twin wants Midas to join his school, which causes competition between them. By the time they realize and recognize their division, the cracks are too big. The fight that started out as a small sibling rivalry becomes a full-blown war for the position of School Master with more than two competitors. But the result of the conflict is not what anyone would have expected and will change the course of fairy tales forever.

Marshmallow is reading Fall of the School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. — Marshmallow is reading *Fall of the School for Good and Evil* by Soman Chainani.

Marshmallow’s Review: This is a sequel to Rise of the School for Good and Evil and is set before the School for Good and Evil series. I would definitely suggest reading those books before this because otherwise nothing will make sense. The other books are necessary for understanding the fantasy world that this book is set in. However, for those who have read the other books, this book is full of twists and turns that will leave readers astonished by revelations hidden throughout the entire series. Even though the reader thinks they know what will happen (since this book is set before the others), the road to the future of the School for Good and Evil is long and not as straight as one may think. The characters (specifically one!) in the other books is not who we thought they were.

I loved how Fall of the School for Good and Evil added nuance to the other books and built the world in which they are set. The depth of Chainani’s characters is astonishing. The characters we read about in Peter Pan and other fairy tales are transformed into living, breathing, and complex characters. I loved how characters from other fairy tales are given a new level of nuance and depth.

Fall of the School for Good and Evil did not have as much romance as previous books written by Chainani, which I think was a good move since it left more room for character and plot development.

This is a book that is appropriate for most ages, though it is likely more interesting for readers 8 and up.

Overall, this is an amazing book for those who like (retellings of) fairy tales and the School for Good and Evil series.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Fall of the School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Fall of the School for Good and Evil* by Soman Chainani 100%.