Tag: animals

Caramel reviews Pangolins by Lisa Fanton

Last week, when Caramel was reviewing the four books that make up the Endangered and Misunderstood series, he remembered one of his new favorite nonfiction books: Pangolins, a 2019 book written by Lisa Fanton full of amazing full-page photos and many inspirational quotes, as well as a lot of interesting facts about these intriguing little creatures. That is why he chose to discuss this book today in his blog post. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Caramel reviews Pangolins by Lisa Fanton.
Caramel reviews Pangolins by Lisa Fanton.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, after last week, having talked about that pangopup in Adventures of a Pangopup, I had a feeling you were not done with pangolins. So here we are, talking about a book all about them. Can you first say a few words to introduce the book to our readers?

Caramel: Adventures of a Pangopup was fiction; this book, Pangolins, is nonfiction, all the way. And it has some startling news.

S: What’s this startling news?

C: There are eight species of pangolins around the world, and the news is that all eight are on the red list, which means that they are really in danger of going extinct.

S: Oh no! That’s terrible!

C: Yes! Of the eight species, four live in Africa and four in Asia, and all eight are hunted, almost to extinction. It is terrible.

S: What do people do with pangolins?

C: They kill them and take their scales. They grind them and use them in some traditional medicine and in soups. And some people eat the meat. They are tiny though!

S: Rabbits are small, too, and people eat them, too.

C: Yes, true, I don’t like to think of bunnies like me being eaten, either, but at least bunnies are not going extinct. And these are poor adorable creatures! Did you know their scales are made of keratin, same stuff making your nails and hair?

S: That is cool. And I saw in the book that they are the only mammals whose bodies are covered with scales instead of fur. That is so interesting!

C: Yes! And people hunt them for their scales! And I can’t believe it. If they want keratin, why don’t people use their nails instead? About this, there is a really nice sentence in the book I want to share:

Nobody in the world needs a pangolin scale … except a pangolin.

S: I agree with that sentiment completely Caramel. It seems this book has made you even more passionate about pangolins.

C: Yes! They are so cute! And people should leave them alone!

Caramel is reading Pangolins by Lisa Fanton.
Caramel is reading Pangolins by Lisa Fanton.

C: Did you know that pangolins yawn? There is a really cute picture of a pangolin yawning in the book.

S: Yes, the photos in this book are all pretty amazing.

C: They are in full color, taken by professional photographers, and you can see the scales of the pangolins and their faces, too. And some of them are rolled up into a ball. The book says that some people call them walking pinecones and artichokes with legs, and I like those descriptions too.

S: They are quite accurate descriptions, I’d say.

C: But the pangolins are a lot cuter than pinecones or artichoke. And I like pinecones — I even reviewed a book about a pinecone — but I think the pangolins are a lot cuter still. And artichokes are tasty, so I don’t want people to think of pangolins as tasty edible things.

S: I understand that, Caramel.

C: Did you know that if they are caught, they thrash around and might cut the bag they are put in and so on? And when they are scared, they roll up into a ball, which is also very cute. And they fart to defend themselves.

S: They are really weird and really cute animals. And I think this book does a great job of showing how beautiful they can be in their natural habitats.

C: I agree. Here are my three words for this book: Informative, striking, because the photos are striking, and amazing. Because what else could a good book about pangolins be? Pangolins are amazing, and so is this book!

S: I agree, Caramel. I am not as passionate about pangolins as you are, but this book made me like them a lot more. They are really interesting creatures, and beautiful, too, in their own way. I also liked several of the quotes sprinkled throughout the book.

C: Yes, there are lots of nice quotes along with all the facts about pangolins. And that is why I called it informative.

S: Agreed. So do you think other young bunnies should read this book?

C: Yes. Young and old, all bunnies should. Because the pictures are amazing, and the facts are even better. And there are not too many words, so young bunnies can read them too.

S: Again, I agree. So it is about time to wrap up this review then. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading and rereading Pangolins by Lisa Fanton, and recommends it to all other bunnies who love living beings.
Caramel loved reading and rereading Pangolins by Lisa Fanton, and recommends it to all other bunnies who love living beings.

Caramel reviews the Endangered and Misunderstood series by Terri Tatchell

Being a young bunny, Caramel loves all small animals, but some he finds more endearing than others. Pangolins are among his favorites, and a search for a book on pangolins is what led him to Aye-Aye Gets Lucky, Adventures of a Pangopup, Okapi Loves His Zebra Pants, and Tarsier Sings His Song, the four books making up the Endangered and Misunderstood series written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima. In this review, he shares his thoughts on these four lovely books that invite the reader to learn about the lives of some of the rarest animals on this planet. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Caramel reviews Aye-Aye Gets Lucky, Adventures of a Pangopup, Okapi Loves His Zebra Pants, and Tarsier Sings His Song, the four books making up the Endangered and Misunderstood Animals series written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima.
Caramel reviews Aye-Aye Gets Lucky, Adventures of a Pangopup, Okapi Loves His Zebra Pants, and Tarsier Sings His Song, the four books making up the Endangered and Misunderstood series written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima.

Sprinkles: Caramel, I know you love animals, and you love books with lots of facts in them. So how did these books measure?

Caramel: I liked them! They have some facts that I did not know, even about pangolins, and you know I know a lot about pangolins already. So there are a lot of facts in the books. But also they are all really colorful.

S: Yes, I noticed. All pages are very colorfully illustrated, and each of the books tells a story first. Yes, there are facts, but those are all at the end. The main chunk of each book is a story, right?

C: Yes, that is true. They all tell stories. And they are fun stories too.

Caramel is posing with and then reading Aye-Aye Gets Lucky, written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima.

S: So for example, tell us about the first book, Aye-Aye Gets Lucky. What is the story in the book about?

C: It is about an aye-aye who was feared and hated because he always played pranks on people. People thought he brought bad luck. But then he learned from a flying fox that maybe he could help the people and they would like him.

S: That is neat. But apparently the part about people thinking aye-ayes are bad luck is correct.

C: Yes, the facts in the back say that.

S: Did you know about aye-ayes before?

C: Yes, they are a type of lemur, but the story was fun to read, and the pictures were fun to look at. And I did not know most of the facts in the end of the book.

Caramel is posing with and then reading Adventures of a Pangopup, written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima.

S: Okay, so the second book in this series is Adventures of a Pangopup. And I know you love pangolins, so I am guessing that you liked this book too.

C: Yes. I think pangolins are really cute and this book was cute too. Can we put a link to that website which has pictures of baby pangolins?

S: Sure, here it is: Pangopups: All About Baby Pangolins. So this book also starts with a story, right?

C: Yes. It is about a pangolin pup who is impatient and wants to go out on his own. His mom thinks he is too young, but he doesn’t listen. And he goes out and has fun and finds friends, but also gets into big trouble.

S: Yes, I can see this might be a good lesson for the pangopup.

C: Yes. And the story rhymes again, and it is funny, too.

S: I know you know all about pangolins. Did the facts pages have anything new for you?

C: I didn’t know they don’t have teeth! I also learned that the dik dik deer mates for life. Which is cool, I think.

S: These are both neat facts, Caramel!

Caramel is posing with and then reading Okapi Loves His Zebra Pants, written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima.

S: Okay, on to the third book, Okapi Loves His Zebra Pants. What do you want to tell us about this book?

C: This one is very funny too. It is about an okapi, who is told by a prankster monkey that he is wearing a zebra’s pants. You see, an okapi is an animal whose back legs and behind have stripes like a zebra.

S: Did you know about okapis before?

C: Yes, but I did not know a lot about them. I only knew they had the stripes. But the book tells you ten facts about them, and I did not know any of them!

S: Ten facts about okapis and five about the African Grey.

C: Yes, so all the books have ten facts about the main animal, and five facts about the second animal in the book that the main animal is friends with. So for example, in Aye-Aye Gets Lucky, the aye-aye makes friends with a flying fox, so the five facts are about flying foxes. And in Adventures of a Pangopup, the pangolin baby makes friends with a dik dik deer, so there are five facts about the dik dik deer. So in Okapi Loves His Zebra Pants, the okapi is friends with an African Grey parrot, so we learn facts about them.

S: That is cool!

Caramel is posing with and then reading Tarsier Sings His Song, written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima.

S: And finally let us talk a bit about the fourth and last book in the series, Tarsier Sings His Song. I’m guessing this is about a tarsier, whatever that is.

C: Yep. So a tarsier is a primate. And this time, there are eight facts about the main animal. Because there are also five facts each about two other animals: the cuscus bear and the crested macaque. And did you know that the bear cuscus is not really a bear? It is a marsupial!

S: Kind of like how a guinea pig is not a pig?

C: That’s true.

S: Did you know about tarsiers, cuscus bears, or crested macaques before? I did not.

C: I had read about all three of them actually, but I did not know for example that the tarsier is the only completely carnivorous primate.

S: That’s interesting Caramel. I thought primates were omnivorous.

C: Me too. So I learned a lot from this book too.

S: That is cool. What is the story in this book?

C: The tarsier is trying to find a mate by singing, and his friends try to help him sing better. And in the end everyone is happy, so I liked this book a lot.

S: And I liked reading all these books with you! They were long though.

C: Yes, each book is over twenty-five pages long. But the stories are really interesting and funny.

S: They are also very cute and sweet.

C: Those would be my three words for these books: funny, cute, and sweet.

S: I agree with your choices Caramel. Wasn’t it fun to learn about these different animals together?

C: Yep.

S: You know they make up a series together, right?

C: Yes, they are called “Endangered and Misunderstood”.

S: True, everyone loves cute and fluffy animals but these animals are not known or cared for by many people. I know you love pangolins, but you are a pretty special bunny…

C: But these animals are going extinct! That’s what “endangered” means. Apparently, the money they will make from these books will go to conservation efforts for the main animal for each book. That’s what it says on the first page of each book.

S: That is really cool, don’t you think?

C: Yep. I’m glad we read these books. And maybe we can reread them some time.

S: Yes, that would be nice. This is a good time to wrap up this review, I think. What would you like to tell our readers, Caramel?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading Aye-Aye Gets Lucky, Adventures of a Pangopup, Okapi Loves His Zebra Pants, and Tarsier Sings His Song, the four books making up the Endangered and Misunderstood series written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima, and he encourages other little bunnies to read them too.
Caramel loved reading Aye-Aye Gets Lucky, Adventures of a Pangopup, Okapi Loves His Zebra Pants, and Tarsier Sings His Song, the four books making up the Endangered and Misunderstood series written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima, and he encourages other little bunnies to read them too.

Caramel reviews The Menagerie: Krakens and Lies by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland

Caramel is a big fan of Tui Sutherland’s Wings of Fire series. After some cajoling, a couple weeks ago, he finally dove into Sutherland’s Menagerie series, cowritten with Kari Sutherland. And he has already read and reviewed the first book (The Menagerie) and the second book (Dragon on Trial). Today he wraps up the series with a review of the third book: Krakens and Lies. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking followup questions.

Caramel reviews The Menagerie: Kraken and Lies by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland.
Caramel reviews The Menagerie: Kraken and Lies by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland.

Sprinkles: So this was book three of the Menagerie series. What did you think?

Caramel: It’s a good book!

S: I thought so too. Actually I liked this third book the most.

C: I didn’t. I think they were all good.

S: Yes, I do, too, but I kind of liked this one most because I thought it was so rich, and the authors tied up all the loose ends really well.

C: I agree. They did tie up a lot of loose ends. We even learned how and why the dragon was framed in Dragon on Trial.

S: You are very close to giving away a little too much Caramel. But yes, the unresolved issues from the earlier books all got cleared away in this one. But it was not only about resolving old issues, was it?

C: No, you are right. There is of course a new problem, a big one. Zoe’s ex-best-friend Jasmine’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, apparently know about the Menagerie and are scheming some evil plot to expose and exploit it.

S: Yes, that is a big existential threat for the Menagerie, right? Nobody is supposed to know about it, and the Sterlings were supposed to have drunk kraken ink and forgotten all they had seen and learned about the Menagerie.

C: Well, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling were supposed to not know about the Menagerie. But apparently Jonathan, Jasmine’s brother, dated Zoe’s sister Ruby, and Ruby told him about it. And then Jonathan tried to steal a jackalope. And a jackalope is kind of like a jackrabbit, but it is not a regular one. Its body looks like a rabbit but it has antlers! But also they are magical creatures, and their milk can cure any illness. And they can imitate human voice and fool humans!

S: Yes, they are cool! But back to Jonathan and Ruby.

C: Oh yes. So they have to break up and Jonathan has to drink the kraken ink to forget everything about her and the Menagerie, but the family all has to drink the kraken ink so they can all forget about Ruby as well. So it is very strange that they now know about the Menagerie. And they are only interested in money so they will want to exploit it. And in the middle of all this, Logan’s mom is still missing and the Sterlings seem to have something to do with it…

Caramel is reading The Menagerie: Kraken and Lies by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland.
Caramel is reading The Menagerie: Kraken and Lies by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland.

S: Yes, that is correct. I think you described the central conflicts and plot problems of this book well, Caramel. So tell me, were there any new mythical creatures other than the jackalope that showed up?

C: There is Sapphire, a relative of Blue. She is a merperson.

S: Yes we saw merpeople before, though, no?

C: Well, here we see them a lot better because they go on a strike.

S: That is true; that part was very interesting.

C: And then we get to see the kraken a lot more up close.

S: That is true too.

C: And there is a Chinese dragon!

S: Yes! And the Chinese dragon has a pearl, a special pearl that holds its magic powers.

C: Yeah, that is true.

S: Did you know that Marshmallow has read and reviewed a book titled Dragon Pearl? You might actually like the book. It has all kinds of things you like: mythology, dragons, space ships!

C: Yes, that book sounds like just the kind of thing I would like to read. Maybe I will ask her to lend it to me.

S: I think she would be happy to share. But there were other magical mythical creatures in this book, no?

C: Yes, there was a selkie! A seal person!

S: Yes, that was a nice surprise, wasn’t it?

C: Yes, but now you are the one doing all the spoiling, Sprinkles!

S: Okay, okay, I’ll stop. So let us wrap things up then. Overall, did you like the Menagerie books?

C: Yes I liked them a lot. They are very different from the Wings of Fire books, but they are just as funny! And they are really cool, and I still think Squorp, the griffin cub, is the best ever!

S: Yes, I know. Okay, give me three words to describe the books and we are done.

C: Funny. And breath-taking, because I had to hold my breath a lot of the time, trying to see what would happen next.

S: And your third word?

C: Well-written. I thought the story flowed really well and always kept me on my toes.

S: True. I agree with that. So I think it is time to close this chapter of our lives and say good bye to the Menagerie and our friends Logan, Zoe, and Blue. How do you want to end this review Caramel!

C: By saying my usual words: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading The Menagerie: Kraken and Lies by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland and recommends the whole series to all the little bunnies who like magical and mythical creatures.
Caramel enjoyed reading The Menagerie: Kraken and Lies by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland and recommends the whole series to all the little bunnies who like magical and mythical creatures.

Caramel reviews The Menagerie: Dragon on Trial by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland

Today Caramel reviews Dragon on Trial, the second book of The Menagerie series written by Tui Sutherland, the author of Caramel’s beloved Wings of Fire series, and her sister Kari Sutherland. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking followup questions.

Caramel reviews The Menagerie: Dragon on Trial by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland.
Caramel reviews The Menagerie: Dragon on Trial by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, you read this book really fast!

Caramel: Yes, I did.

S: Was it exciting?

C: Yes.

S: So will you tell us about it?

C: Yes, of course!

S: Do tell!

C: This book starts exactly where the last book, The Menagerie, ended. That book ended with the disappearance of Pelly, the golden egg laying goose. And in this book, the heroes, Logan, Zoe, and Blue, try to find out who killed Pelly.

S: Wait, is Pelly dead?

C: Well, it looks like that, at least in the beginning. But —

S: Wait, don’t tell. I still have not read this one, and I really want to.

C: Yes, you should read it. It is just as exciting as the first book.

S: I found the first book really fun and full of curious things. And a lot of mysteries. Is this one as good as that book?

C: Yes. And there are new magical mythical creatures that we meet, and they are awesome!

S: Can you name one?

C: We finally see and meet the dragons!

S: That’s cool. I know you like dragons a lot. Are the dragons of this book similar to any other dragons we met in any other book?

C: Not really. Scratch is a Western dragon and he can fly and he is big and long, and breathes fire. And all clues point to him being guilty of the death of the goose.

S: I see. So he is the “dragon on trial” that is mentioned in the title of the book. And as usual, things are not what they seem, right?

C: Exactly!

Caramel is reading The Menagerie: Dragon on Trial by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland.
Caramel is reading The Menagerie: Dragon on Trial by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland.

S: So let us move a bit away from the plot so you don’t give away too much by mistake.

C: Okay.

S: Instead maybe we can talk about the characters. Other than the three friends Logan, Zoe, and Blue, do we meet some new important characters?

C: Well, not really. We do get to see the SNAPA agents a few more times. SNAPA stands for SuperNatural Animals Protection Agency.

S: Cool, kind of like a mixture of EPA and the CIA. Right?

C: Yeah, I guess. They are a government agency, trying to protect the mythical animals and they are pretty secretive.

S: Who was your favorite person in this book?

C: My favorite is still Squarp; that is the baby griffin cub that Logan found in his room in the first book.

S: Why is that?

C: Because he is a cute little baby animal!

S: And you are a cute little baby animal, too, so it makes total sense you would like him. He is also very playful and funny; I liked him too, in the first book.

C: You will like him in the second book too!

S: Okay, I think I am quite ready to begin reading the book. How about you? Are you itching to read the third book?

C: Yes!

S: Does this second book also end with a cliffhanger?

C: Kind of. The book ends with them finding out something very serious, a big danger for the menagerie.

S: I can’t wait to find out more! So let us wrap this up so we can both get reading. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading The Menagerie: Dragon on Trial by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland, and he cannot wait to get started on the third and last book of the series. Stay tuned!
Caramel loved reading The Menagerie: Dragon on Trial by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland, and he cannot wait to get started on the third and last book of the series. Stay tuned!