BookBunnies

Marshmallow reviews Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee

This week Marshmallow reviews a recent book by Yoon Ha Lee: Dragon Pearl, published in January 2019.

Marshmallow’s Overview: If you like books about mythology and space, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with spoilers): 13-year-old Min learns that her brother, Jun, is accused of deserting the Space Force in search of the Dragon Pearl. Min knows that her brother would never leave the Space Force, the organization that he always wanted to be a part of ever since he was a little boy. Even if he knew where the Dragon Pearl was. (The Dragon Pearl is a legendary object that can transform a whole planet in a day. In this story world, dragons exist and they have “Terraforming powers”, but they take year to terraform a planet.) So Min decides that something must have gone wrong. To prove that her brother did not desert the Space Force she leaves her home planet, Jinju, and goes in search of her brother.

Min is eventually able to find the ship that her brother was on when he “deserted”. She also finds her brother, but it is not how she wanted or expected to find him.

Marshmallow is reading Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee. — Marshmallow is reading *Dragon Pearl* by Yoon Ha Lee.

Marshmallow’s Review: This is a good book that is a mix of Korean mythology, science fiction, and fantasy. There are fox spirits, dragons, and interesting theories about how machines run in the story universe. (Apparently, they run on an energy that is called “gi” that is like the blood of their machines and ships.)

In the first page, we learn that Min is a “fox spirit”. In Korean mythology, a fox spirit is a magical being that has the ability to transform into anything they want to transform into. They are also able to “Charm” others which is to make others trust them or feel angry, sad, or happy and other feelings. So, basically they can “Charm” others to feel certain feelings.

The School Library Journal praised the book with the following words, which summarize the book well:

Lee skillfully weaves Korean folklore into this space opera narrative, creating dynamics and relatable characters. VERDICT: With ghosts, pirates, and a rollicking space adventure, there’s a little something for everyone here.
The School Library Journal, https://www.slj.com/?reviewDetail=dragon-pearl

Reading Dragon Pearl may encourage you to learn more about Korean Mythology because we read about many interesting creatures. Min’s friends who are helping her find the Dragon Pearl so it does not fall into the wrong hands are, like her, magical creatures. (Hanuel is a dragon who can transform into a human but she is in human form most of the time. Sujin is a goblin.)

This book might be better for readers that are 10 and older because there are gamblers and guns. There are also ghosts in the story, which might scare some readers, too. It also might be a little confusing for younger readers but overall this is a very interesting and entertaining book.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 90%.

Marshmallow rates Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee 90%. — Marshmallow rates *Dragon Pearl* by Yoon Ha Lee 90%.

Caramel reviews And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson

Today Caramel picked a sweet real-life story of two chinstrap penguins revolving around themes of family and love to share with the Book Bunnies Blog readers. Below he discusses And Tango Makes Three, written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, and illustrated by Henry Cole. Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions, as always.

Caramel reviews And Tango Makes Three, written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, and illustrated by Henry Cole. — Caramel reviews *And Tango Makes Three*, written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, and illustrated by Henry Cole.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, what do you want to tell us about this book?

Caramel: It’s a good book. A really good book. It’s about two penguins who are both boys, and they have a baby together.

S: How does that happen?

C: The zoo keeper gives them an egg. He puts it into their nest. Then they put it in the middle. Every day they turn it, so then all sides get warm. They take turns sitting on the egg.

S: Then what happens?

C: The egg hatches. It then grows strong enough to leave the nest. Then they take their baby to the water to swim.

S: And the zoo guests cheer them on, right?

C: Yes!

Caramel is looking at the page of And Tango Makes Three, where all penguins are playing together and the zoo guests are cheering them on. — Caramel is looking at the page of *And Tango Makes Three*, where all penguins are playing together and the zoo guests are cheering them on.

S: We have seen penguins at zoos, right?

C: I think so. I think at least once.

S: They are fun to watch. They waddle and dive into the water, and jump out.

C: Yes! They go “weeeeee!”

S: Did you know that this is based on a real story?

C: I didn’t know when I read the book. But then we read together the Wikipedia entry on the book and I learned.

S: Yes, apparently the story is based on two real penguins, named Roy and Silo, like in the book, and their adopted child, Tango.

C: Yes, and Tango makes three! Roy and Silo are two, and then plus Tango makes three.

S: That’s why they named the book that, right? Can you think of another name for the book?

C: No. I think the name of the book is just perfect.

S: I agree. What else do you want to tell us about the book?

C: If you like penguins, this is a really good book!

S: And we love penguins! We have reviewed several books about them before!

C: I didn’t know it was nonfiction before we read more about it on Wikipedia.

S: Does that change your opinion of the book?

C: It makes me like it more. I like real stuff. I also love real penguins!

S: Would you have liked to have received a penguin in the mail like Mr. Popper did in the book Marshmallow reviewed a few days ago?

C: If it listened to me, yes. And it shouldn’t smash me, they can be heavy you know.

S: Oh yes, apparently an emperor penguin can be as heavy as 99 pounds! But chinstrap penguins are much lighter. Wikipedia says they usually weigh around 7 to 10 pounds.

C: Ok, then I could like a chinstrap penguin. But I’d not want it to peck me.

S: Yes, that could possibly hurt. But they are so cute, aren’t they?

C: They’re adorable, especially when they are babies. Grownups are still adorable too.

S: I am thinking it is time for us to wrap up our review Caramel. Will you say your last words as usual?

C: Of course! Stay tuned for more book bunnies adventures!

Caramel has enjoyed reading And Tango Makes Three, written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, and illustrated by Henry Cole. — Caramel has enjoyed reading *And Tango Makes Three*, written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, and illustrated by Henry Cole.

Marshmallow reviews Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

Recently, Marshmallow reread the 1939 classic, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, which is about a man (Mr. Popper) that is sent a penguin by an Arctic/Antarctic explorer (Admiral Drake). A Newberry Honor recipient from 1939, this book was one of the first full-length books Sprinkles and Marshmallow read together many years ago. Written by Richard Atwater and Florence Atwater, and illustrated by Robert Lawson, the book still amused Marshmallow when she reread it recently, and she wanted to write about it for the book bunnies blog.

Marshmallow’s Overview: If you like books that are about penguins, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary: One day, Mr. Popper of Stillwater, Minnesota, received in the mail a penguin. The penguin was mailed to him by the famous Antarctic explorer Admiral Drake. Mr. Popper often dreamed of polar explorations, and he had written to Admiral Drake about penguins.

Mr. Popper named the penguin Captain Cook because he kept on making a funny sound like “cook” when he came out of the box and because Mr. Popper loved explorers. (Captain Cook was named after a famous explorer named James Cook.) Mr. Popper had the fridge emptied so then Captain Cook could live inside of it. But soon the penguin started getting sick. Mr. Popper learned from the zoo that maybe Captain Cook was lonely. Then the zoo sent him a female penguin named Greta, and Captain Cook was no longer alone.

Soon Captain Cook and Greta had a family. After some time they had a total of twelve penguins to feed and Mr. Popper decided he needed to find a way to take care of them. He trained then to do tricks like climbing up and down a ladder or marching when Mrs. Popper played the piano. Eventually the penguins became a part of the Popper family.

The back cover of the book summarizes the story well:

It was hard enough for Mr. Popper to support himself, Mrs. Popper, Bill and Janie Popper. The addition of twelve penguins to the family made it impossible to make both ends meet. Then Mr. Popper had a splendid idea. The penguins might support the Poppers. And so they did.

Marshmallow is showing the back cover of *Mr. Popper’s Penguins*, written by Richard and Florence Atwater, and illustrated by Robert Lawson.

Marshmallow’s Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a really cute book. It is also a classic, a timeless tale that will definitely warm the reader’s heart.

This is a great read for those who are looking for a book about penguins. It is a fiction book so it does not have facts about the intriguing species of different penguins, like the Blue Fairy Penguin or the Emperor Penguin, but Captain Cook and the rest of the his penguin family will entertain and intrigue the reader to learn more about penguins. (These flightless birds are adorable!) I especially liked how the authors made the penguins realistic and gave them personalities. For example, Captain Cook is a very curios penguin who likes to explore everything that he can lay his wings on.

I also like the pictures in the book that show the events in the book happening. The pictures are like photos that are snapped right when the events are happening. For example, in one of the scenes Mr. Popper trips on Captain Cook’s leash and the picture in him falling down to the sidewalk he is walking on while Captain Cook is waddling away from the scene.

Marshmallow is pointing at one of the illustrations in Mr. Popper's :Penguins, written by Richard and Florence Atwater. The illustrations were made by Robert Lawson. — Marshmallow is pointing at one of the illustrations in *Mr. Popper’s Penguins*, written by Richard and Florence Atwater. The illustrations were made by Robert Lawson.

I think that this book is for any age and is an easy read. Even so it is a book that will make people want to read and reread it over and over again because it is such a sweet story. It is, like I said an easier book to read, so I think it would be great for ages 6-9 but I think that adults would also enjoy it.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Mr Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Mr Popper’s Penguins* by Richard and Florence Atwater 100%.

Caramel reviews The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe by Theodore Gray

Caramel often enjoys reading big encyclopedic books on various scientific and technological topics. See for example his review of a big book on engineering, and another big book on dinosaurs. Today he is talking about his recent favorite: The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe by Theodore Gray. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel what do you want to tell us about this book?

Caramel: I like it because I like elements.

S: What are elements?

C: Elements are like atoms. Hydrogen, oxygen, uranium, tin are all elements.

S: Yes, those are some good examples of elements. Elements are the building blocks of all matter. Why don’t we read from the beginning of the book?

“THE PERIODIC TABLE is the universal catalog of everything you can drop on your foot. There are some things such as light, love, logic and time that are not in the periodic table, but you cannot drop any of those on your foot. The earth, this book, your foot–everything tangible–is made of elements. Your foot is made mostly of oxygen with quite a bit of carbon joining it, giving structure to the organic molecules that define you as an example of carbon-based life. (And if you’re not a carbon-based life form: welcome to our planet! If you have a foot, please don’t drop this book on it.)”

S: So the book starts with an introduction to the periodic table.

C: Yes, in the beginning of the book, there are seven pages of information about the periodic table. In the next two pages, they talk about s-orbitals, p-orbitals, d-orbitals, and f-orbitals.

S: What are those?

C: The shape of the shells that electron clouds make around the center of the atom. The seed of the atom!

S: Yes, it is called the nucleus in English, but it is in the middle, like a central seed, like a peach would have.

C: Or a cherry! A watermelon would not work though, because watermelons have many seeds. But I like watermelons!

S: I know! But let us get back to the book. After these few pages of introduction material on chemistry, the rest of the book is …

C: about each element! Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine, Neon.

S: Yes those are the first ten elements.

C: So each element has two pages, all the way up to Einsteinium and Fermium, which have numbers 99 and 100.

S: Yes, those are the atomic numbers. They count how many protons the element has in each of its atoms. So yes, each of the first hundred elements gets its own two-page spread.

C: Wait! No! Aluminum (13) and Titanium (22) get four pages! Iron (26) gets four pages too! Copper (29), Tungsten (74), Gold (79), Lead (82), Uranium (92) all have four pages to themselves. They’re greedy!

S: I guess so. But they are also important elements. Or at least the author thinks they are. Or maybe he just likes them… So what is your favorite element Caramel?

C: I have two. Titanium (22) and Uranium (92).

Caramel is reading about Titanium, one of his favorite elements, in The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe by Theodore Gray. — Caramel is reading about Titanium, one of his favorite elements, in *The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe* by Theodore Gray.

S: So what did you learn about Titanium from this book?

C: Titanium is strong but light. You can make golf clubs, and artificial hip joints from Titanium. You can use it on razor blades. You can also use it in dental implants. Then you have a titanium tooth!

S: I might! You’re right! Maybe we can stop here, before we give away more private health information, no?

C: Yeah, I guess so. So here are my last words for this review: Stay tuned for more book bunnies adventures!

Caramel is still enjoying reading about elements and looking at the beautiful pictures in The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe by Theodore Gray. — Caramel is still enjoying reading about elements and looking at the beautiful pictures in *The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe* by Theodore Gray.