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Caramel reviews Blink and Glow by Raven Howell and Ann Pilicer

Today Caramel reviews Blink and Glow, a brand new picture book written by Raven Howell and illustrated by Ann Pilicer. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

The book bunnies are delighted to be reviewing this book as part of a Blog Tour for Blink and Glow organized by WOW! Women On Writing.

Caramel reviews Blink and Glow, written by Raven Howell and illustrated by Ann Pilicer. — Caramel reviews *Blink and Glow*, written by Raven Howell and illustrated by Ann Pilicer.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, tell me about this book.

Caramel: It’s about a boy named Leo and a girl named Lily. They like animals.

S: That sounds good.

C: Yes, but they like animals, and so they catch a firefly and a salamander, and they want to take them to school the next day for show-and-tell.

S: Hmm.

C: Then they show the animals they caught to their grandma and their grandma helps them realize that they both need to be free. So then they release them.

S: I see. So they learn that the firefly and the salamander need to be free and that they can enjoy and appreciate them better from a distance.

C: Yep. I mean, I’d like to play with a salamander just as much as any other little bunny–

S: I’d say maybe more…

C: Maybe, but so yes, I’d like to play with one too, but if I touch it and put it into a jar like Lily does, the salamander could get hurt. And nobody likes to be put in a jar. I would not like to be put in a jar.

S: Yep. But many young bunnies do not know that immediately. Right? Many young ones like to catch butterflies, capture birds, pull the tails of kitties, and so on.

C: I guess. Oh, do you think maybe that is why the author wrote this book?

S: I think you are on to something Caramel!

C: But I do not know of anyone who would pull the tail of a kitty, Sprinkles. And as a little bunny, I’d think the kitty could hurt me back easily.

S: You are right of course. But there are children who do such things, without thinking of how it might be cruel to the animal. And even those who do try to be nice and love the animals could hurt them unintentionally.

C: Yes, I can see how if you tried to catch a butterfly, for example, you could really hurt it because you have really small paws.

S: Yes, though yours are even smaller!

C: Maybe, but maybe not for long! I am growing, you know!

Caramel is reading Blink and Glow, written by Raven Howell and illustrated by Ann Pilicer. — Caramel is reading *Blink and Glow*, written by Raven Howell and illustrated by Ann Pilicer.

S: Okay, let us get back to the book. Tell me a bit about the pictures.

C: The pictures are really colorful! And you know what I noticed?

S: Tell me.

C: The children are always smiling! On each page! Okay, there is one page where Lily is not totally smiling, but everywhere else she is!

S: Well, overall the book is a happy book, don’t you think?

C: Yes, that’s true. Hmm, maybe that is why they are smiling! They love animals, and they are excited about them. And then they learn how not to hurt them so they are happy that they won’t hurt them. And at the end, their grandma teaches them how to make salamander and fireflies out of craft stuff. So they have fun with that too.

S: Oh yes, we should probably tell our readers that at the very back of the book, there are two pages of instructions on how to make a firefly suncatcher.

C: Yes! And the way to make the salamander seems very easy too. The book tells us how to make them out of craft sticks.

S: Cool!

C: Yes, definitely.

S: Alright Caramel, so it seems like you enjoyed reading this book.

C: Of course. I like all books about animals, and the children learned something important, about not hurting animals. So that is also good.

S: I agree. So maybe it is time to wrap up our review then.

C: Why not?

S: Okay, what would you like to tell our readers then?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading Blink and Glow, written by Raven Howell and illustrated by Ann Pilicer, and recommends it to all little bunnies who love colorful books and fun stories about animals. — Caramel loved reading *Blink and Glow*, written by Raven Howell and illustrated by Ann Pilicer, and recommends it to all little bunnies who love colorful books and fun stories about animals.

Caramel reviews The One and Only Family by Katherine Applegate

Last week Caramel reviewed The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate, the third book about the motley crew of dear friends of silverback Ivan whose story started it all. Today he reviews the fourth and currently the last book in this series, The One and Only Family, which was released earlier this month. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking followup questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, this is the fourth book in this series. What can you tell us about it?

Caramel: This is the newest book in the One and Only Ivan series. I can’t say it is the best but it is pretty good.

S: Do you have a favorite?

C: No, they are all so good. That is why I can’t say this is the best, because they are all the best.

S: I see. Okay, so the first three books had Ivan, Bob, and Ruby in their titles, and they were mainly narrated by Ivan, Bob, and Ruby, respectively. But this one does not have a name in the title. It is just “family”. So who is telling this story?

C: Ivan.

S: The one and only!

C: Yes! The OG!

S: So we are back at the beginning, kind of. Tell me what is going on with Ivan then.

C: He is going to be a daddy!

S: I remember he had a mate in the second book, but I don’t think they had babies together.

C: Yep. Ivan had a mate named Kinyani. And in this book they have twin babies!

S: That is so exciting! But wait, if there is a new book, there might be new problems to solve. Can you tell us a bit more? What is the book about then?

C: It is about the joys and challenges of parenthood.

S: That is such a lofty thing to say for such a tiny little bunny!

C: Well, I am sort of quoting Ivan.

S: Oh I see. I remember Ivan was a quite sophisticated gorilla.

Caramel is reading The One and Only Family by Katherine Applegate. — Caramel is reading *The One and Only Family* by Katherine Applegate.

S: So tell me more about the book.

C: There are times when Ivan is sad because he remembers his original family, and there are a lot of funny and sweet things that happen, too. Just what you would expect from this series. It is always so good!

S: I see. I am guessing you liked the book then.

C: Obviously!

S: Okay, so if you were to describe it using three to five words ,what would you say?

C: Funny adventures with old friends, hard-to-put-down page-turner.

S: Hmm, again, that is a lot more than three to five words, but it will do. You said old friends. So do we see Bob the dog and Ruby the elephant in this book, too?

C: Yes. And the girl too, Julia.

S: I see. More or less the same main cast then.

C: Yes, but we get to see more of Kinyani, and then there are the twins, Raji and Tuma.

S: And they are all as likeable as the original crew?

C: Yes, I liked them!

S: So you would recommend this book to other bunnies?

C: Yes, but it would be best if they read the earlier books first. They would know the characters much better that way.

S: Makes sense to me Caramel. Okay, so maybe this is a good time to wrap up this review. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading The One and Only Family by Katherine Applegate and will not forget these wonderful friends for a long while. — Caramel loved reading *The One and Only Family* by Katherine Applegate and will not forget these wonderful friends for a long while.

Caramel reviews The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate

Marshmallow was the first one who read and reviewed The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, but Caramel followed her soon after. Then he read and reviewed the sequel, The One and Only Bob. This week he finally got his paws on the third book in the series: The One and Only Ruby, published in 2023. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, here we are, talking about yet another book about the gorilla Ivan and his friends.

Caramel: Yes, but this one is not so much about Ivan. It’s more about Ruby, the baby elephant that we met in The One and Only Ivan.

S: Oh, is she still a baby in this book?

C: Yes. Or maybe she is a bit older, she is acting like seven or eight, but that would be still quite young for an elephant. Or maybe she is only two years old, because apparently that is around the time elephants start getting their tusks, and that is what is happening in this book.

S: That is interesting!

C: And what is also interesting is that apparently some female elephants lost their tusks by evolution in the second half of the twentieth century due to ivory poaching. It is very interesting but also very sad and angry-making. Why do people have to kill elephants for their tusks? It is theirs! Let them keep their own tusks!

S: I know Caramel, and I totally agree with you. It is not fair. But let us come back to Ruby and the book. So what is the book about? Is it all about her tusks?

C: Not quite. It is more generally about her story. She does not like tusks, and there is a sad reason for that.

S: Hmm, I am getting some ideas because of what we just talked about.

C: Yep. And that’s why I am glad we are not elephants. But I won’t tell you more.

Caramel is reading The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate. — Caramel is reading *The One and Only Ruby* by Katherine Applegate.

S: Okay, then, maybe we can move on. Tell me about the book in other ways. Is Ruby the narrator this time? The Ivan book was narrated by Ivan and the Bob book was narrated by Bob.

C: Yes, this is from Ruby’s voice though Ivan and Bob are still around.

S: Does she sound different from them?

C: A little. So it is the same style in some way but different enough to be convincing.

S: Okay. Is the book funny? Or just sad?

C: Both. So it is sometimes sad and sometimes funny.

S: I understand you are itching to read the next book, which just came out. So you must have liked this one.

C: Yes, I did. Very much.

S: Alright, so if you were to describe the book in three to five words–

C: I’d say: emotionally complicated, important topics with sweet old friends.

S: That is more than five words but I think they will work. I knew you had missed Ivan and Bob.

C: I did!

S: Okay, Caramel. Then let us wrap up this review so you can read the next book. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate and is keen to read and review the fourth book in the series; stay tuned! — Caramel loved reading *The One and Only Ruby* by Katherine Applegate and is keen to read and review the fourth book in the series; stay tuned!

Marshmallow reviews Whale Done by Stuart Gibbs

This past week, author Stuart Gibbs visited Caramel’s school, and the book bunnies were able to receive two autographed books. One of these was Whale Done, the eighth book in the FunJungle series, published earlier this year. Marshmallow is a big fan of the FunJungle books, and she has already read and reviewed all of the previous seven for the book bunnies blog. So it was natural that she would be the one to jump on this book when it first arrived at the book bunnies’ home and dive right in. Below she shares some of her thoughts about the book.

Before moving on, you might want to check out Marshmallow’s reviews of the first seven books of FunJungle: Belly Up, Poached, Big Game, Panda-monium, Lion Down, Tyrannosaurus Wrecks, and Bear Bottom.

Marshmallow reviews Whale Done by Stuart Gibbs. — Marshmallow reviews *Whale Done* by Stuart Gibbs.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about animals and mysteries, or if you have enjoyed other books by Stuart Gibbs, then this might be the book for you. Of course, it would be best if you have also read some of the other FunJungle books before reading this one.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Teddy Fitzroy, who is now fourteen years old, lives with his parents at FunJungle (a huge zoo, similar to a hybrid of Disneyland and the San Diego Zoo) until a kangaroo burns down their home. This leads to Teddy eventually accepting an invitation to go to Malibu Beach in California with his girlfriend, her mother, and Doc, FunJungle’s vet. (Meanwhile, his mom is staying in her office and his father is traveling for work).

Teddy’s girlfriend, Summer McCracken, is the daughter of J.J. McCracken, the billionaire who owns FunJungle, and Kandace McCracken, a famous model. While in Malibu, they learn about a beached whale in front of a neighborhood of mansions owned by rich aristocrats, celebrities, and athletes. Teddy, Summer, and Doc are staying in this area in a house with a friend of Kandace, who also happens to be a model.

While on the beach, they meet Cass, who works for the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Cass is preparing to perform an autopsy on the beached whale to find the cause of its death, when all of a sudden, the whale is blown up with dynamite. Two delinquents (who have extremely rich parents) are found to be guilty. But Teddy, Summer, and Doc think there is more to the story. Sand appears to be stolen from the beaches, but officials don’t believe the concerned surfers who report this, leaving Teddy and Summer to play detectives once more and try to unravel the complicated mystery about the whale’s death as well as the missing sand.

On top of all this, Teddy and Summer’s relationship becomes strained as events unfold.

Marshmallow is looking happily at the autographed title page of Whale Done by Stuart Gibbs. — Marshmallow is looking happily at the autographed title page of *Whale Done* by Stuart Gibbs.

Marshmallow’s Review: I have really liked all of the other FunJungle books and find Whale Done to be a meaningful and thoughtful addition to the series. I liked how the author brings up serious issues like plastic pollution and manages to keep the mystery, suspense, and humor (his trademarks in the other books of this series) sharp and on point. The characters go through some interesting changes and moments, but I can’t go into too much detail without spoiling all of it.

This book is appropriate for all ages, but I would recommend reading the previous books in the FunJungle series before reading this one because otherwise the characters and some of the references to past events will not be as meaningful. But in summary, I really enjoyed Whale Done, I would recommend it to anyone and everyone, and I hope Stuart Gibbs will write another FunJungle book some day!

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Whale Done by Stuart Gibbs 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Whale Done* by Stuart Gibbs 100%.