BookBunnies

Caramel reviews I Lived Inside a Whale by Xin Li

For his first review for the new season, Caramel chose a beautiful picture book, I Lived Inside A Whale by Xin Li, first published in 2024 and promptly awarded the Barnes & Noble Children’s & YA Book Award. As always, Sprinkles is asking questions and taking notes.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, we are back! You found a neat book to talk about today. Tell us a bit about I Lived Inside a Whale.

Caramel: It is about a girl; we don’t know her name. But she finds the world too noisy. And so she makes a boat and goes into the ocean and finds a great blue whale and starts to live inside it.

S: Wait, so she wants to be alone and so she gets herself swallowed up by a whale?

C: Yes, kind of. But it is not a violent swallowing. She learns that the heart of a whale is huge so the inside of the whale must be large enough for her to live on her own. So she goes into one.

S: That is kind of fantastical.

C: Yes. Like in a fantasy, you mean, right?

S: Yes. I mean it is not really believable.

C: Sprinkles, this is just a story. So weird things happen. But the point is she finds peace and quiet inside the whale. Until a boy comes in.

S: Wait, so the whale swallows another child, whole?

C: Yes. And the boy is not very quiet at first. But he listens to the girl and leaves her be for a bit so when she feels comfortable she can talk to him.

S: I see. This seeking out a quiet place reminds me of a book you reviewed before.

C: Which one are you thinking of?

S: I was thinking of Albert’s Quiet Quest.

C: Oh, yes. It has been a long time since then, but you are right. The boy in that story also wanted to be in a quiet place to read, and his home and his friends were all too loud.

Caramel is reading I Lived Inside a Whale by Xin Li. — Caramel is reading *I Lived Inside a Whale* by Xin Li.

S: So what do you think the main point of this book is?

C: I don’t know, but I think one of the points is about how some bunnies want to be quiet and want space for themselves, and we should give them that space.

S: Yes, I can see how you would get that from how the little boy understands the little girl’s need for quiet and then how the two of them end up getting along so well.

C: Yes. And she tells stories, many many stories. So maybe when she has the space and quiet to think and so on, she can also speak up and say important and interesting things.

S: I can see that. So we should provide space for everyone to have a chance to contribute, for them to tell their stories.

C: Yes.

S: That is so sweet, Caramel! I also loved the color scheme and the drawings in this book. What did you think?

C: I liked it too. There is a lot of color. It is a very colorful book.

S: I think a lot of little bunnies could read this with their big bunnies and they would enjoy it a lot.

C: Yep, I agree. Maybe we can read it together.

S: Would be nice Caramel! So let us wrap this up then. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: The book bunnies are back! Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading I Lived Inside a Whale by Xin Li and recommends it to all young bunnies who need a bit of quiet sometimes. — Caramel loved reading *I Lived Inside a Whale* by Xin Li and recommends it to all young bunnies who need a bit of quiet sometimes.

Marshmallow reviews Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Marshmallow has already reviewed the first two books of the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. Today she reviews the third and last book: Mockingjay, first published in 2010. Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

(Marshmallow wants to warn readers that there may be some spoilers in what follows.)

Marshmallow reviews Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. — Marshmallow reviews *Mockingjay* by Suzanne Collins.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, as your first post post-summer break, you chose to tell us a bit about Mockingjay. Let’s get started.

Marshmallow: Sure. Mockingjay is the third and final book in Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games series. And I think it wraps up the story really realistically. It does not simplify or dismiss the bloodiness and complications of revolutions.

S: Okay, let us step back. So being the third book in a series, readers should probably have read the first two books, right?

M: Yes. So they should definitely have read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. The story begins more or less when the second book ends. So Katniss Everdeen is the champion of District 12 in the seventy-fourth Hunger Games at the end of the first book, and then in the second book, she is forced to take part in the seventy-fifth one. And she and Peeta, her partner from District 12, survive that game too. But at the end of the second book, we are kind of left at a cliffhanger, because it seems that Katniss is taken by rebels, and Peeta is taken by the forces from the Capitol. So when the third book starts, Katniss is with the rebels from District 13. Oh, we should say there may be some spoilers here.

S: Okay, I will add a note to the beginning of the post about that. So wait, District 13. Wasn’t that destroyed in the rebellion against the Capitol seventy-five years ago, before the Games began?

M: So that is what everyone thought, but in reality they had survived and they went underground. Literally they began to live under the ground, and they are pretty strong because they have nuclear power. And they support the rebels. So Katniss learns about all this at the very end of the second book.

S: I see.

M: Then this book is about the rebels trying to take down the Capitol and President Snow, while Katniss has a lot of mixed feelings about being involved.

S: How come?

M: Well, she has suffered a lot of trauma, her entire District was destroyed, and she is seriously injured. She has healed but has many permanent scars, physical and emotional. Also Peeta is in the hands of the Capitol, and she is scared of how they might be torturing him.

S: I see.

Marshmallow is reading Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. — Marshmallow is reading *Mockingjay* by Suzanne Collins.

S: So the narrative is still first person, right? We still see the world and the events through Katniss’ eyes?

M: Yes. And that was one of the reasons why the book shook me so much. The reader is going through all the emotional stuff together with Katniss.

S: I know. I saw how shaken you were by the end of the book.

M: Yes. Even though in some ways the end can be called a happy end, I was very unsettled about everything. Because Collins, the author, does not spare any details. She makes things so realistic. Both sides do terrible things, and there is really no winner. Lots of losers, but even those one could say won have so many permanent scars inside and out…

S: I understand. So all in all, it was a very powerful read it seems like.

M: Yes, I was emotionally very moved. The series, I think, is very important for all bunnies to read, at some point, because it shows how horrific all human suffering is and how violence is never, should never, be the answer. And it also shows how trauma, pain, and violence can shape others to become like the ones who hurt them.

S: Those are some tough lessons Marshmallow. I am guessing you think this book is not very suitable for very young bunnies.

M: I don’t know. I have friends who read this when they were twelve and they loved it. But personally I was affected very strongly by this book, and I think that maybe it is better suited to older bunnies than twelve.

S: That makes sense to me. It is also possible that people of different ages can read the book at different levels. But all in all, did you like this book as the end of the series? Having read all three, are you going to recommend people to do so themselves?

M: Yes. I definitely think so. I’d rate Mockingjay 100%, but also I think this whole series is very important. Not just a good book series to read, but as I said before, it is important for young people to be aware of the horrors of war, violence, human suffering.

S: Thank you, that works for me. So let us wrap up this review then. What would you like to tell our readers?

M: We are back! And stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Mockingjay* by Suzanne Collins 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Evil Eyes Sea by Özge Samancı

Last year Marshmallow read and reviewed Dare to Disappoint by Özge Samancı. This year, as her last book before taking time off for the summer, she chose Samancı’s new book, Evil Eyes Sea, just published this month. Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: I’m very excited about this book. So let us get started.

Marshmallow: Sure.

S: Why don’t you tell us a bit about what this book is about?

M: It is about this college student and her college dorm roommate solving a crime together.

S: That sounds interesting!

M: It is!

S: Okay, so tell me more. Please?

M: Okay, okay, you don’t have to beg! So the main character’s name is Ece, and her best friend’s name is Meltem. They have some interesting ideas. Like if they stare at something with their “Medusa gaze,” then they can control it, like move it and so on.

S: That sounds cool.

M: It is funny. But anyways, these two friends are going to college in Istanbul, Turkey, and their dorm is right next to the Bosphorus Strait, and they are diving there one day, when a car falls into the sea right next to them. There is a woman in the car, and they try to save her, but it is too late.

S: Is this the crime they will try to solve? Was the woman murdered?

M: Yes, at least they think so. Ece is quite fascinated and wants to dig into the facts of the case and solve it. They also feel bad for not being able to save her. They also know the woman; it was another student from their dorm.

S: I see. This sounds like a real thriller. And you like murder mysteries.

M: Yes, but this book is a lot more than just a murder mystery. Just like Samancı’s other book that I reviewed, this gives you a good snapshot of Turkey from when she herself was a college student.

S: And that corresponds to the 1990s, right?

M: Yes. There is political tension, and and the crime itself is politically motivated to an extent, and you see all of it through the view of a college student.

S: And from what you are telling me so far, a very perceptive and curious student.

M: Yes, you get to see a lot of different aspects of Ece’s life. There is a lot of smoking though.

S: There was a lot of smoking everywhere back then.

M: There is also some drinking.

S: Hmm, looks like this is not quite appropriate for younger bunnies.

M: Well, I think the fact that there is a gruesome murder in the center of the plot also makes that the case. We do see the dead woman’s body. And there is some cursing. So yes, not for very young bunnies.

Marshmallow is reading Evil Eyes Sea by Özge Samancı. — Marshmallow is reading *Evil Eyes Sea* by Özge Samancı.

S: Okay, so tell me a bit more about the characters. If I am understanding it correctly, Ece is the narrator, right?

M: Yup. And she is a very likeable narrator. You sympathize with her when she is losing her patience with Meltem for example. And Meltem is also a very interesting character. She is popular with boys, very smart, and maybe a bit more cautious than Ece in some ways. But their friendship is strong and real.

S: So in some ways this is a friendship story too?

M: Yes.

S: Okay, so you had really enjoyed Dare to Disappoint. Did this book fit your expectations?

M: Yes. This is more fictional I think, but it still has a sense of realism to it. You really feel like you are observing Ece’s world with its full details. And the book is really colorful! Ece’s hair, like Özge in the other book, is bright orange, but there are so many other colors, too. The color of the sea is very deep blue, and I really liked the cover too.

S: Why?

M: It sort of captures the whole story of the book in one picture, which is really impressive.

S: I agree!

M: There is a trailer for the book, too. Maybe we can put a link to it for our readers to have a sense of the book?

S: Sure. Here it is:

Evil Eyes Book Trailer, YouTube.

M: Thanks. I do think the trailer does a good job describing the book.

S: Great. I hope at least some of our readers will check it out.

M: They should!

S: Okay, maybe this is a good time to wrap up this review. Before we do that, can you tell me how you would rate this book?

M: I’d rate it 100%. But it is not for younger bunnies.

S: Okay, that makes sense to me. Alright then, this is your last review before we take off for July. What do you want to tell our readers?

M: Have a great summer and stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies, coming in August!

Marshmallow rates Evil Eyes Sea by Özge Samancı 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Evil Eyes Sea* by Özge Samancı 100%.

Caramel reviews Narwhal’s Sweet Tooth by Ben Clanton

Caramel’s very first review ever for the book bunnies blog was Narwhal: The Unicorn of the Sea!, the first book of Ben Clanton’s Narwhal and Jelly series. Since then, he has reviewed seven more books in the series: Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Narwhal’s Otter Friend, Happy Narwhalidays, Narwhal’s School of Awesomeness, Narwhalicorn and Jelly and A Super Scary Narwhalloween. Today, as his last review before the book bunnies take off for the month of July, he is reviewing the ninth and most recent book in the series: Narwhal’s Sweet Tooth, which is scheduled to come out in July 2024. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

The book bunnies received this book as an advance review copy.

Caramel reviews Narwhal's Sweet Tooth by Ben Clanton. — Caramel reviews *Narwhal’s Sweet Tooth* by Ben Clanton.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, here we are, with a brand new Narwhal and Jelly book!

Caramel: Yes! I am very excited about it!

S: Great! So tell us about the book. What are the goofy duo Narwhal and Jelly up to this time?

C: Well, they are not up to anything. But Narwhal has a problem.

S: Oh no! What is his problem?

C: His tooth nearly breaks off!

S: His special narwhal tooth?

C: Yes. Well, it is actually called a tusk, but yes.

S: Why? How does this happen?

C: His tooth nearly breaks off because he keeps stacking food on it. You can look at the picture in the front of the book. Just like that.

S: I see. That might not be a good way to use the tooth I suppose.

C: Yeah, no, it is not. And he is eating a lot of sweets. The title tells you that. He has a sweet tooth. That means he likes sweets a lot. And everyone knows too much candy is bad for your teeth.

S: That is definitely true. Too much candy, and especially if you do not brush your teeth afterwards…

C: Yeah, Narwhal does not brush his teeth. But he learns to brush it in the end.

S: Caramel, you had reviewed a book about teeth and keeping them clean many many years ago!

C: Oh, I had already forgotten. It has been a while.

S: But you have not forgotten that it is important to keep teeth clean.

C: Of course not! We bunnies need our teeth to be healthy.

Caramel is reading Narwhal's Sweet Tooth by Ben Clanton. — Caramel is reading *Narwhal’s Sweet Tooth* by Ben Clanton.

S: Well, so it has been a while since you last reviewed a new Narwhal and Jelly book. How did it feel to have a new book about these two friends?

C: Very good. I think Narwhal and Jelly are the coolest!

S: And it seems like this book in particular has an important message about teeth, but did it feel like it was trying to teach you something?

C: Yes, a little bit, but I did not mind it. I love Narwhal and Jelly. And they are always so funny and fun! Reading these books makes me happy!

S: That sounds wonderful! Okay, so tell me your favorite quote from the book.

C: Jelly says to Narwhal: “Narwhal it’s hard to frown when you’re around.”

S: That is a nice thing for a friend to say to another friend.

C: Yes. They are good friends.

S: I seem to recall that these books often have a bunch of facts sprinkled here and there, and you love those facts too. Were there any facts in this book too?

C: Yep.

S: Were they all about teeth?

C: Yes! But not all about keeping them clean.

S: Did you learn anything new?

C: Yup. My most favorite new fact from the book is that the purple sea urchin has five teeth! And here is a webpage from the Monterey Bay Aquarium that shows those five teeth!

S: That is really cool! Not a lot of natural things have five-fold symmetry like that!

C: True! But you showed me that apples do!

S: Yep. That is one of my favorite fun facts. Okay, so this all sounds like you really enjoyed reading Narwhal’s Sweet Tooth.

C: Yes!

S: So if someone had not read any of the earlier books, would they still enjoy this one?

C: Yes, Narwhal and Jelly are really cool anyways. But if you want to know them better, you can read some of the earlier books too.

S: So the adventures can be read independently?

C: Yes.

S: That is great, Caramel. So maybe this is a good time to wrap up our review. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: I’m going on a break till July!

S: Yes, Marshmallow has one more review on Saturday, but then we take the month of July off. So–

C: So, yes, enjoy your summer and stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading Narwhal's Sweet Tooth by Ben Clanton just as much as he loved reading all the other Narwhal adventures, and he is looking forward to more! — Caramel loved reading *Narwhal’s Sweet Tooth* by Ben Clanton just as much as he loved reading all the other Narwhal adventures, and he is looking forward to more!