BookBunnies

Caramel reviews Flipping Brilliant by Jonathan Chester and Patrick Regan

Inspired by Marshmallow’s first book for the new season, Caramel decided to start his reviews with Flipping Brilliant: A Penguin’s Guide to a Happy Life, first published in 2008. The book brings together nature photographer Jonathan Chester’s images with accompanying text by Patrick Regan. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking followup questions.

Caramel reviews Flipping Brilliant: A Penguin's Guide to a Happy Life by Jonathan Chester and Patrick Regan. — Caramel reviews *Flipping Brilliant: A Penguin’s Guide to a Happy Life* by Jonathan Chester and Patrick Regan.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, I am glad you chose to talk about this book today, even though it may not be completely targeting a young audience.

Caramel: Yes, Marshmallow talked about an advice book, so I thought this would work well to follow it. And also because it is a really short book. Only fifty-nine pages!

S: That is short! And actually the book does not have much text in it.

C: Yep. Basically 39 out of 59 are all just photos of penguins.

S: Did you just count that?

C: No. But I am approximating. A lot of the pages are full of penguin photos and there are some words sprinkled here and there that match them.

S: I see. So there are some cool photos by the photographer, Jonathan Chester, and then the other person, Patrick Regan adds some pithy statement to each photo that makes sense.

C: Yes for example one of my favorites is a photo of four penguins walking in a line. This is on page 57. They look really funny. They look like the Beatles. Remember how they were crossing the street?

S: Yes, here it is:

Image from Beatles album Abbey Road, obtained from Wikipedia, under fair use conditions.

C: Yes, so the four penguins look just like that! And the words next to the penguins say:

“Be an original. There have been countless imitators, but there is a reason the Beatles will never be forgotten. Find your own road.”

S: That is cool Caramel!

C: Yes I agree!

Caramel is reading Flipping Brilliant: A Penguin's Guide to a Happy Life by Jonathan Chester and Patrick Regan. — Caramel is reading *Flipping Brilliant: A Penguin’s Guide to a Happy Life* by Jonathan Chester and Patrick Regan.

S: I think there are some notes about each of the photos in the back of the book. Right?

C: Yep. For my four penguins it says: “King penguins, Falkland Islands. King penguins, true to their name, comport themselves in a regal fashion. Their stateliness, beautiful mating ritual, and gregariousness make them a delight to observe.”

S: That is neat! So you get to learn the type of penguin in the picture and also where the photo was actually taken.

C: Yes. And a little fact about the penguins too. And you know I love my facts!

S: I do! But when I first saw you read this book, I thought it was going to be something like Penguins Hate Stuff, which you reviewed a long time ago.

C: Yeah, that was a good book, too. But that was mostly funny. And the images were hand-drawn. Here the images are real, and the words say meaningful stuff. But of course I can laugh at them too. For example, there is one which says “It’s better to be smart than cute. (And best to be both.)” And that is kind of funny!

S: But it is also true. You are both smart and cute. So it applies to you!

C: Hmm, I don’t know how to respond to that without sounding too full of myself or too humble.

S: Okay, you do not have to say anything.

C: Okay, so maybe we can say we are done with the post?

S: Sure. Let us wrap it up then. What would you like to say to our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Flipping Brilliant: A Penguin's Guide to a Happy Life by Jonathan Chester and Patrick Regan and recommends it to all little bunnies who love penguins. (After all, penguins are among the cutest animals, besides bunnies.) — Caramel enjoyed reading *Flipping Brilliant: A Penguin’s Guide to a Happy Life* by Jonathan Chester and Patrick Regan and recommends it to all little bunnies who love penguins. (After all, penguins are among the cutest animals, besides bunnies.)

Marshmallow reviews Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better: Wise Advice for Leaning into the Unknown by Pema Chödrön

The book bunnies are back! Today in her first review for the new 2025-2026 season, Marshmallow is writing about Pema Chödrön’s short but impactful book, Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better: Wise Advice for Leaning into the Unknown, published first in 2015.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about self-improvement, contemplation, and dealing with challenges, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): The book starts with a foreword by Seth Godin, in which he introduces an interesting phrase from the author: “getting all the frogs in the bowl.” This essentially means that, despite all efforts, if you’re trying to get frogs to stay in a bowl, there will always be some that hop right out–which I presume is a metaphor for the occasional, unavoidable failure. He describes his own past with failure, citing the plethora of publishing rejections he experienced. But Chödrön, he says, teaches one how to dance while the frogs continue to jump. This piqued my interest.

Godin also mentions the “infinite game” (one you play not to win, but simply to play). He ties this into the jumping frogs, claiming that perhaps the jumping frogs are the point, rather than the orthodox objective of just getting them to sit still in the bowl. I found this point a little more difficult to tie into the objective of the book. Rather than focusing on how to grow from failure, it suggests that the entire purpose of existence is failure. I felt that this is a separate thesis that is harder to defend. But the foreword made me excited to start.

The central core of the book is derived from a speech Chödrön gave at her granddaughter’s college graduation. In it, she explains that she wasn’t sure her topic choice would be appropriate since preparation for failure (her topic choice) is superfluous–teachers and students hope–if one is taught to avoid mistakes in the first place. Yet, she says that the “fine art of failing” may be the most important lesson that these new graduates will learn in their entire lives.

Most of her speech centers on the topic of “welcoming the unwelcome.” Through this, Chödrön explains, one can turn towards their pain and their failures and learn from them by letting go.

Chödrön describes the two main responses we have towards failure: we often blame other people or other factors for it, and we almost always begin to experience some sort of self-identification with failure. The author describes how she hit rock bottom after leaving her second husband and found guidance with the founder of the college she is speaking at, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. She also recounts an old story which I found fascinatingly eye-opening. The speech then ends, and rather abruptly, but she delivers her message effectively and really does not need to say much else.

The third and final part of this book is an interview with the author conducted by Tami Simon. This section really goes way deeper on all the ideas introduced more briefly in the speech (which was shorter and interspersed with little calming illustrations).

Marshmallow is reading Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better: Wise Advice for Leaning into the Unknown by Pema Chödrön. — Marshmallow is reading *Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better: Wise Advice for Leaning into the Unknown* by Pema Chödrön.

Marshmallow’s Review: I found this to be a very engaging book. I agree with many of the ideas, and actually found that some of my own ideas appeared in this book. The author certainly has many novel, wise suggestions and is clearly trying to make the world and the reader better. I liked how the solution presented is more about addressing the pain of failure rather than how to prevent it because there are many amazing books about that too (see for example all the books by Cal Newport that I have already reviewed for our blog). But overall, the speech itself is like a calm, easy-to-read intro to the ideas that are expanded more in the interview.

I thought this was a very intellectually and emotionally engaging book. Overall, Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better: Wise Advice for Leaning into the Unknown is short, but engenders deep contemplation that will last for a long time.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 98%.

Marshmallow rates Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better: Wise Advice for Leaning into the Unknown by Pema Chödrön 98%. — Marshmallow rates *Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better: Wise Advice for Leaning into the Unknown* by Pema Chödrön 98%.

Marshmallow reviews Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels by Tọlá Okogwu

A while back Marshmallow read Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu and, as you can see from her review, enjoyed it a lot. Today she reviews Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels, the second story recounting Onyeka’s adventures, published in 2023.

The book bunnies will be taking off for a short summer break during the month of July. We look forward to seeing you in August with many new books!

Marshmallow reviews Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels by Tọlá Okogwu. — Marshmallow reviews *Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels* by Tọlá Okogwu.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about magic, friends, family, and new magical worlds, or have enjoyed reading the previous Onyeka book, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): When Onyeka first came to the Academy of the Sun, she learned that there is a whole new world of magic hidden in Nigeria. The Academy shelters and teaches Solari children and young adults, who all have Ike or special magical powers. Doctor Dòyìnbó, who runs the Academy, trained them all to “serve Nigeria” with their Ikes. Until recently, Onyeka believed–just like all the other Solari–that their powers came from exposure to a leaked material. At the end of the first Onyeka book, she learned that the material was leaked by Doctor Dòyìnbó, who intentionally “gave” the Solari their Ike. While this might sound noble, the children who gained Ike were taken from their families to be trained by Dòyìnbó at the Academy to “serve Nigeria,” or more precisely himself. Naturally, once Onyeka and her friends discovered that basically everything Doctor Dòyìnbó told them was a lie, they rebelled.

Now at the beginning of this second book, they are hiding as fugitives since the whole Academy has turned against them, with Doctor Dòyìnbó keeping the truth secret from the rest of the students and staff of the Academy. Onyeka, her friends, and her aunt have to plan their next course of action, and find themselves at a crossroads: they can storm the Academy to try to reveal the truth, or they can search for the Rogues (a group Dòyìnbó characterized as the Solaris’ enemy, likely because they uncovered his plan) to join forces.

At the same time, Onyeka’s scientist aunt has been working to fabricate a formula that corrects the Ike’s negative side effects; normally, all Solari suffer from nausea, sickness, and, after years of using their Ike, death. Luckily, she figures it out! Onyeka and her friends soon elect to find the Rogues, yet Onyeka is reluctant to trust them. After Dòyìnbó’s betrayal and elaborate falsities, she feels as though it is too risky. She does not tell the Rogues (who are also Solari, but they live in a secret base hidden from Dòyìnbó and the Academy) about the formula they made, waiting for proof that they won’t misuse it.

Onyeka, her friends, and the Rebels mount their defenses and plan for how they will overtake Dòyìnbó. But the whole time, Onyeka has been visited by Dòyìnbó in her dreams. She keeps this a secret too. But as Paul Tournier once said, “Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets.” Throughout the book, Onyeka faces inner turmoil like nothing she has experienced before as secrets are revealed, wars are waged, and her life is forever changed.

Marshmallow is reading Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels by Tọlá Okogwu. — Marshmallow is reading *Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels* by Tọlá Okogwu.

Marshmallow’s Review: I think that this was a very well thought-out book. Onyeka’s character is front and center, but I am also glad that we got to see more of the other characters. That said, I was so mad that she does the same “I have to be the hero” thing as every other teenage protagonist (*cough, cough* Harry Potter). I would have presumed she would have been able to think about the situation with more understanding of depth. But she still makes the same mistakes because she is looking at everything in a very 2D way. I was a little surprised because her struggles and thoughts were almost identical to Harry Potter’s, which shows how this book is also another great fantasy series. However, I would also warn readers that you might be tempted to yell at the book because of how precisely she follows the same silly hero pitfalls. The plot is definitely unique though and the same can be said for the world Okogwu has created. I really love how the new magical aspects of the Academy and the futuristic tech the Solari use blend into the rich Nigerian culture the characters celebrate. That really makes this book special.

I think reading books like Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels is definitely vital for a diverse society. It is neat to see heroes from different backgrounds that many people have never really been able to see before. It’s heart-warming to see that there are more and more stories like this! But setting that aside, Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels is a really good book on its other merits too. The plot is on-point, sharp, and doesn’t lull. Even when the characters are not physically doing much, there is still a lot going on in terms of social dynamics and emotions. This is a really good book and–though it resolves at the end, sort of–I am excited to read the next one!

This being our last post till August, I have to say… Happy summer reading and stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the Book Bunnies!

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels by Tọlá Okogwu 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels* by Tọlá Okogwu 100%.

Caramel reviews Ingo by Helen Dunmore

As his last review before the book bunnies take off for the summer, Caramel chose Ingo by Helen Dunmore, originally published in 2005. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, as we are getting ready to take off for the summer, you chose to talk about a book about the ocean.

Caramel: Yes. Ingo is about the ocean, that is true. But it is also about a lot more.

S: Tell me.

C: It is about a girl named Sapphire. Her father “mysteriously vanishes into the waves off the Cornwall coast where her family has always lived.” At least that is what the back of the book says.

S: Hmm, I thought you read the book.

C: I did. I thought it would be quicker to use the book’s own summary.

S: I guess that makes sense. But so her father disappears into the waves, does that mean he goes off swimming and does not come back?

C: Yes, almost. He goes sailing and does not come back. But before he disappears, he tells Sapphire about these people of the sea called the mer.

S: Like mermaids?

C: Yes, but they are called the mer, and they hate being called mermaids. They think the humans’ way of thinking about mermaids is silly.

S: That is interesting. I think there were some wild merpeople in one of the Harry Potter books.

C: Yeah I think you are right. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, there were merpeople too. But those were kind of vicious and almost evil. These mer are a lot less vicious and evil.

S: There were also some mer people in another book, one that you read, I think?

C: Oh yes. There were some mer people and even some selkies in The Menagerie: Krakens and Lies! Those books were cool!

Caramel is reading Ingo by Helen Dunmore. — Caramel is reading *Ingo* by Helen Dunmore.

S: So does Sapphire meet the mer?

C: Yes. She goes looking for her dad and meets some mer. Before that, her brother Conor disappears for hours and does not remember what happened, or so he claims. It turns out that he was meeting with the mer. Conor and Sapphire make friends with two mer children, Faro and Elvira, who help them when some people get into trouble.

S: So the book is about Sapphire discovering the world of the mer and maybe finding her dad?

C: Well, she does not find her dad in this book. Apparently there are four other books after this one, and maybe she will find him, but in this book, she does learn about the mer and their world. It is called Ingo.

S: Oh, that is why the book is titled Ingo!

C: Yup. Ingo is the name of the underwater world that the mer live in.

S: That is interesting Caramel. So did you enjoy this book?

C: Yes. I even want to read the next four books.

S: I see. That is a good sign.

C: Yep, I’d say so!

S: Okay, so would you recommend this book to other young bunnies?

C: Yes! It is fun to imagine other worlds under the sea!

S: Cool! Okay, maybe this is a good time to wrap up this review, which is your last one before our summer break. What would you like to tell our readers Caramel?

C: Have a great summer and stay tuned for more book bunny reviews! We will be back in August with new books!

Caramel enjoyed reading Ingo by Helen Dunmore and recommends it to all little bunnies looking for an intriguing summer read. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Ingo* by Helen Dunmore and recommends it to all little bunnies looking for an intriguing summer read.