BookBunnies

Marshmallow reviews 9 From the Nine Worlds by Rick Riordan

Marshmallow reviewed all three books of Rick Riordan’s Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. (You might want to check out her reviews of The Sword of Summer, The Hammer of Thor, and The Ship of the Dead before moving on.) She has also reviewed Hotel Valhalla: Guide to the Norse Worlds, a companion book to the trilogy. Today she reviews 9 From the Nine Worlds, a 2018 book of short stories written by Riordan about the nine worlds of the Norse mythology. As a fan of many of Riordan’s series, Sprinkles is asking questions and taking notes.

Marshmallow reviews Nine from the Nine Worlds by Rick Riordan. — Marshmallow reviews *Nine from the Nine Worlds* by Rick Riordan.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, what would you like to tell us about this book?

Marshmallow: This is a collection of short stories Rick Riordan wrote about the nine worlds of Norse mythology. There is one story for each world.

S: Are any of the stories or the characters in them related to the Magnus Chase series?

M: Yes. All of them actually.

S: So these stories complement the Magnus Chase trilogy then?

M: I think they happen after the trilogy ends, but many of the characters are people we met before in the trilogy. There are some new characters, too, of course.

S: Of course. So what did you think of the stories? Did you enjoy them?

M: Yes, I thought the stories were really good.

S: Can you tell us about one or two of them? Did you have a favorite?

M: I liked “This Is Why I Hate Clothes Shopping” by Amir Fadlan the most.

S: Wait, weren’t these stories all written by Riordan?

M: Yep. Amir Fadlan is a character from the world of Magnus Chase. Maybe you remember? He was engaged to Samirah al Abbas.

S: Oh, yes, I remember. So the stories are each narrated by a character from the Magnus Chase trilogy.

M: Yes. I guess I should have said that earlier. Anyways, in the story by Amir, he gets tricked into wearing a pair of pants and the pants are– oh wait, no spoilers, so I cannot tell more.

S: But somehow some weird stuff happens about the pants, right?

M: Yes. Some magical stuff.

Marshmallow is reading Nine from the Nine Worlds by Rick Riordan. — Marshmallow is reading *Nine from the Nine Worlds* by Rick Riordan.

S: Okay, so how does Riordan manage to narrate nine stories from nine different voices?

M: I really don’t know how he does it, but he definitely does it well. And they are all very funny. Or at least lighthearted.

S: And I saw that there were some full-color pictures in the book. Can you tell us a bit about those?

M: Yes, there are sixteen full-color full-page pictures, by James Firnhaber, Jim Madsen, and Yori Elita Narpati. Eight of them portray eight of the narrators, all except Amir actually. And the remaining eight depict eight of the nine worlds. Midgard is missing, probably because that is our world, the world of humans and bunnies, so we already should know what that looks like. There might be bunnies in Alfheim, too, actually, but I would not know. I have not been there.

S: Do the portraits of the characters fit your image of them in your mind from before?

M: A little. It is always interesting to see how other people visualize a character.

S: For sure. So overall, you enjoyed this book, right?

M: Yes, and it definitely is a quick read, and since it is made up of many short stories, you could stop and start and it would be okay. Just keep in mind that the stories are all kind of connected.

S: So does one need to read the book in order?

M: I think it would be better to read the stories in order.

S: And do you think one would need to have read the Magnus Chase trilogy before diving into these stories?

M: That would probably be a good idea. There might be some spoilers. And you would know the narrators much better then.

S: Okay Marshmallow, it seems like you will be lending me yet another book of yours soon. I am eager to read this book now that I know more about it.

M: Sure. I think you will like it!

S: Okay, it is time to wrap this up now. How would you rate the book?

M: I’d rate it 100%.

S: Great! And what do you want to tell our readers?

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

Marshmallow rates Nine from the Nine Worlds by Rick Riordan 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Nine from the Nine Worlds* by Rick Riordan 100%.

Caramel reviews Weird But True! 350 Outrageous Facts (Book 6) by National Geographic Kids

Caramel is a little bunny who loves robots, animals, space ships, and … facts. He loves facts! So today he is talking about a book that is all about facts: Weird But True! 350 Outrageous Facts (Book 6), by National Geographic Kids. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, you have found yet another book full of facts!

Caramel: Yup! I have.

S: This is a little book with some weird facts on each page, and with lots of colorful pictures. So for example, I did not know that there was a pink lake in Australia.

C: I did know about Lake Hillier, yes!

S: I know you know a lot of weird facts already! So I am not too surprised that you had already known of this lake. Were there things that were new to you in the book then?

C: Sure. For example, I did not know that some people built a life-size Star Wars x-wing from LEGOs. And I did not know that there is an airport in Turkey named Batman.

S: Oh, there I win! I knew about Batman. It is actually a whole city, and it has nothing to do with the superhero Batman. It is also pronounced differently.

C: Well, I know it now! And I now know that ailurophobia is an extreme fear of cats. And that a planet about the size of our Earth partially made up of diamonds is worth $26.9 nonillion (that is 26.9 plus twenty-nine zeros!)

S: I did not know any of that! But did you know that this is the sixth book in a series and that there are many more books called “Weird But True! 350 Outrageous Facts”?

C: Yes, in the back of the book, there are pictures of ten of them. Can we get some of those books, too?

S: Hmm, I don’t know. Do you think it is useful to have a book that has random facts organized in no discernible order or logic?

C: Yes!

Caramel is reading Weird But True! 350 Outrageous Facts (Book 6) by National Geographic Kids. — Caramel is reading *Weird But True! 350 Outrageous Facts* (Book 6) by National Geographic Kids.

S: To me, it sounds amusing but maybe kind of weird because there is no way to organize the facts in my mind.

C: Why bother with organizing? It is fun to read the book. Something new and surprising shows up on each page, and that is fun.

S: Hmm, I guess I can see the appeal of that. You could also just read the book on and off, and open it randomly to a random page and get amused and pass time and learn things, all at the same time.

C: Yes. That’s what I am saying.

S: That wasn’t how you read it though, right? You read it from cover to cover?

C: Yes. At least the first time. But the second time and the third time and the fourth time and so on, I just open the book to some page and read.

S: So even though you have read the book already, you think you might want to read it again and again?

C: Yup. I sometimes forget some of the facts and when I read them I remember and it is like new again. I like to look at the pictures, too.

S: Okay, so we are trying something new this week. You just started using a reading notebook. It asks you how the book made you feel. What is your answer to that question?

C: Happy!

S: How come?

C: Because I was happy to learn all these new facts!

S: You are an awesome little bunny Caramel! What three words would you use to describe the book?

C: Colorful, factful fun.

S: I think that works! This is a good place to end this post. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading Weird But True! 350 Outrageous Facts (Book 6) by National Geographic Kids and is now wondering about the nine remaining books in the series. — Caramel loved reading *Weird But True! 350 Outrageous Facts* (Book 6) by National Geographic Kids and is now wondering about the nine remaining books in the series.

Marshmallow reviews The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary by Media Lab Books

Today Marshmallow goes back into the world of Harry Potter and writes about a 2021 book about its many fascinating creatures: The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary: MuggleNet’s Complete Guide to the Fantastic Creatures of the Wizarding World, published by Media Lab Books.

Marshmallow reviews The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary: MuggleNet's Complete Guide to the Fantastic Creatures of the Wizarding World by Media Lab Books. — Marshmallow reviews *The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary: MuggleNet’s Complete Guide to the Fantastic Creatures of the Wizarding World* by Media Lab Books.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like the wonderful world of Harry Potter or reading about magical creatures, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary is a full A to Z guide to all the magical animals and creatures in the Harry Potter Wizarding World. Similar in format to The Unofficial Ultimate Harry Potter Spellbook, which I reviewed earlier, this book includes detailed information on pretty much every magical creature or animal ever seen or mentioned in the Harry Potter universe, with citations of where and when it was seen or mentioned.

This book also has information about unnamed mundane creatures, enchanted animal candy, house mascots, known animagi and their animal forms, Patronuses and their known shapes, the finer points of potion ingredients, Quidditch critters by team, transfiguration spells with animals, and Luna Lovegood’s magical menagerie.

Marshmallow is reading The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary: MuggleNet's Complete Guide to the Fantastic Creatures of the Wizarding World by Media Lab Books. — Marshmallow is reading *The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary: MuggleNet’s Complete Guide to the Fantastic Creatures of the Wizarding World* by Media Lab Books.

Marshmallow’s Review: If you enjoyed reading any of the Wizarding World books written by J.K. Rowling, then this book will make a great addition to your knowledge base. Size and notable features of, and fun facts about all sorts of magical creatures make this a must-have for Harry Potter fans. A handy table of contents in the beginning makes the book easy to navigate and allows you to flip to whichever page you need. Stories about Muggle perceptions and notable members of each species make this a great read for any and all interested in delving deeper into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

While Newt Scamander’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a great book to read, too, The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary furthers the world of Harry Potter with extra fun facts. If I were to compare Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary, I would say that Newt Scamander’s is more of a field guide for wizards and witches, whereas, The Bestiary is more for Muggles interested in learning about magical creatures. The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary goes more into depth with information, not only about magi-zoology (but there certainly is a lot about it too!), but also about animals and creatures in the entirety of the Wizarding World, such as Patronuses, Animagi, and enchanted animal candy. The Unofficial Harry Potter Beastiary also has more information about each species, mentioning notable members of each species and going into how Muggles incorporated some magical creatures into myths, legends, and stories.

This book is appropriate for all ages and is a great read for all, although having read the Harry Potter books before or planning on reading them would be a good idea. I, being a huge Harry Potter fan, loved reading this book and would definitely recommend it to all bunnies great and small.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary: MuggleNet's Complete Guide to the Fantastic Creatures of the Wizarding World by Media Lab Books 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary: MuggleNet’s Complete Guide to the Fantastic Creatures of the Wizarding World* by Media Lab Books 100%.

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.