Ben Clanton – BookBunnies

Caramel reviews Narwhal’s School of Awesomeness by Ben Clanton

Caramel chose to talk about the first book of Ben Clanton’s Narwhal and Jelly series, Narwhal: The Unicorn of the Sea!, in his very first review for the book bunnies blog. Then through the next few months, he reviewed Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Narwhal’s Otter Friend, and finally Happy Narwhalidays. So it was natural that when he heard about a sixth book in the series titled Narwhal’s School of Awesomeness, he thought he’d better get his paws on a copy and review it, too. This is exactly what he does in this post. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking followup questions.

Sprinkles: So you must be feeling pretty good having gotten your paws on yet another Narwhal and Jelly adventure!

Caramel: Yup! It is fin-tastic to be reading about these two once again.

S: I see what you did there! Fin-tastic is one of those words Clanton uses, created by slightly changing a word to have ocean-life connotations.

C: Yep yep yep.

S: So will you tell us anything about the book?

C: Narwhal and Jelly are back and Narwhal becomes a teacher.

S: How does he do that?

C: Well, one of the fish school teachers is sick, and so he goes home, and then Narwhal takes over the school. He’s not told to do it, but he just does it himself.

S: So he just decides to be a teacher and gets going, right? That’s interesting.

C: Yes. And what’s more interesting is what he teaches. He teaches wafflematics, which is math + waffles.

S: That sounds deliciously nerdy!

C: Yes. And there are other classes, mostly fake classes of course. Narwhal does not know a lot, because I think he is young, kind of like me, so he is making things up as he goes along.

Caramel is reading Narwhal's School of Awesomeness by Ben Clanton. — Caramel is reading *Narwhal’s School of Awesomeness* by Ben Clanton, when Narwhal is explaining what wafflematics is.

S: But there are still a lot of real facts in the book, right? Like in the earlier Narwhal and Jelly books?

C: Yes, and you know I love my facts.

S: I know you do. So did you learn anything new from this book?

C: Yes. Did you know what a group of snails is called?

S: No.

C: It’s called a walk. And a group of sharks is called a shiver.

S: I did not know any of those.

C: Yes, and then there is a picture of a hammerhead shark and he is really funny, talking like a pirate…

S: So the books are factful and funny again, right?

C: Yes! At some point Narwhal says “This is what I’m chalking about!” You see, talking becomes chalking because he is now a teacher?

S: Yes, I see. I’m glad you are enjoying this book just as much as you did the earlier ones.

C: <giggles> Wait, what? Sorry, I was reading the book again.

S: Okay, maybe we will end the review so you can get back to the book once more. But before that, tell me a third word to describe the book. You already have factful and funny.

C: Colorful. Because the book is very colorful. They are adorable fishies and I love them!

S: That is so cool that you liked this book so much!

C: Yes. It is o-fish-ally awesome!

S: Okay, then why don’t we wrap it up? What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading Narwhal's School of Awesomeness by Ben Clanton, and reconnecting with old friends Narwhal and Jelly. — Caramel loved reading *Narwhal’s School of Awesomeness* by Ben Clanton, and reconnecting with old friends Narwhal and Jelly.

Caramel reviews Happy Narwhalidays by Ben Clanton

Caramel loved reading and reviewing the quirky adventures of Narwhal and Jelly in Narwhal: The Unicorn of the Sea!, Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt, Peanut Butter and Jelly, and Narwhal’s Otter Friend. Here he shares his thoughts on the fifth and most recent book in Ben Clanton’s Narwhal and Jelly series: Happy Narwhalidays. Sprinkles is taking notes and occasionally asking followup questions.

Sprinkles: I saw that you got your paws on another Narwhal and Jelly book Caramel!

Caramel: Yes! Its name is Happy Narwhalidays!

S: I guess it just came out right about in time for the holiday season. Do you think it would make a good book present for bunnies like you who love reading?

C: Yes. Especially if the bunny loves the other Narwhal and Jelly books.

S: They are fun to read, aren’t they? So what happens in this one?

C: They are fun to read, and I am rereading it again, right now.

Caramel is reading Happy Narwhalidays by Ben Clanton. He is looking at the pages where Narwhal is imagining all the different gifts his friend Jelly could be giving him in the gift box. — Caramel is reading *Happy Narwhalidays* by Ben Clanton. He is looking at the pages where Narwhal is imagining all the different gifts his friend Jelly could be giving him in the gift box.

S: Hmm, I see you are looking at the pages where Narwhal is dreaming up all the things Jelly could be gifting him.

C: Yes. The ideas he has are not really possible. He thinks that the gift might be a giant waffle or a big bouncy blow-up bubble castle! Or it could be a rocket ship to take him to the unicorn planet!

S: Narwhal sure has a big imagination!

C: He sure does!

S: So the book is about giving friends gifts then, right?

C: Yes, mostly.

S: I know these books always have a whole lot of facts about ocean life, and I know you love facts. So tell me the most interesting fact you learned reading this book.

C: Let me read it to you: “Tardigrades, commonly known as water bears, are water-dwelling micro-animals that can survive in temperatures as hot as 304F (151C) and as cold as absolute zero.”

S: That is one weird fact Caramel. Do you know what absolute zero is?

C: No. Is it like -100?

S: No, actually it is even colder than that. It is -273C, and it is -459F. Absolute zero is when it is so cold that nothing moves. Heat and temperature are about molecules moving about, and at absolute zero, nothing moves anymore. It is really fascinating that these water-bears can survive that temperature.

C: I didn’t know that.

S: I do like how these books bring up all sorts of interesting facts! Okay, so what else do you want to say about this book?

C: I love Jelly. He is the best character.

S: Why do you say that?

C: He is super funny.

S: I think Narwhal is also super funny.

C: Yes. He is a little goofier.

S: I know. Theyt are good friends though, right?

C: Yes.

S: So tell me three words that would describe this book Caramel.

C: Awesome, colorful, factful.

S: I am not sure factful is a word, but let us go with it. Shall we then wrap up this review so you can read the book one more time?

C: Okay! Stay tuned for more book bunnies reviews!

Caramel loved reading Happy Narwhalidays by Ben Clanton and reconnecting with old friends Narwhal and Jelly. — Caramel loved reading *Happy Narwhalidays* by Ben Clanton and reconnecting with old friends Narwhal and Jelly.

Caramel reviews A Big Guy Took My Ball! by Mo Willems

After reviewing three books from the Elephant and Piggie Like Reading series (see his reviews of The Cookie Fiasco by Dan Santat, The Itchy Book by LeUyen Pham, and Harold and Hog Pretend for Real! by Dan Santat), Caramel is now rereading some of his old favorites from the original Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Wilems. Below he shares his thoughts on A Big Guy Took My Ball! by Mo Willems. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking followup questions, though this time Caramel himself also tried typing some of the words.

Sprinkles: So what do you want to tell us about this book Caramel?

Caramel: boing! Boing boing boing boing boing! I love this book! boing!

S: So what is that supposed to mean?

C: it is one of the best books that I have ever read! It is a very good book! I love it! And the boinging is about a bouncy ball.

S: Yes, the book has a ball in the center of the story, right? Tell us about the story. What is happening in the book?

C : There is a big guy that takes Piggie’s ball! Piggie is very sad. So Gerald the Elephant goes to the big guy to try and take the ball back.

S : Why can’t Piggie take it back herself?

C : The guy is too big, she’s scared. It’s a humpback whale! They are huge!

S : Yes, apparently they can grow up to 25 to 30 tonnes. That is a huge weight Caramel. And it is about the size of ten mid-sized elephants. So the big guy is probably too big for Gerald as well, right?

Caramel is reading the page where Gerald is telling Piggie that the big guy is really big.

C: Yes. But in the end everything works out, and all three of them play together. They play a game called whale ball. But I don’t get it.

S: What do you not get Caramel?

C: How is the whale not in the ocean? And where is the water coming from that it spouts from its blow hole?

S: Hmm, those are good questions Caramel, but maybe just like an elephant and a pig are quite unlikely to be friends, the whale joining them is also quite unlikely, but it can happen in fiction. Isn’t that what fiction is about? A lot of times things that don’t always make sense or cannot really happen do happen in stories.

C: I don’t always like that though. I like real things.

S: Yes, of course I know that Caramel. But there are many fiction books you also enjoy reading, right? I think you have enjoyed reading all the Elephant and Piggie books many many times.

C: Yes! I also love the Narwhal and Jelly books!

S: Yes, and you reviewed all four of them: Narwhal: The Unicorn of the Sea!, Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt, Peanut Butter and Jelly, and Narwhal’s Otter Friend, all by Ben Clanton. It is a good thing to read a balance of fiction and non-fiction. I think you are doing great!

C: Yes! I like reading. And I will keep reading. And reviewing books!

Caramel loves reading and rereading A Big Guy Took My Ball! by Mo Willems.

Caramel reviews Narwhal’s Otter Friend by Ben Clanton

Caramel enjoyed reading the quirky adventures of Narwhal and Jelly in Narwhal: The Unicorn of the Sea!, Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt, and Peanut Butter and Jelly. Here he shares his thoughts on the fourth book in Ben Clanton’s Narwhal and Jelly series: Narwhal’s Otter Friend. Sprinkles is taking notes and occasionally asking followup questions.

Sprinkles: Caramel, you are reading another Narwhal and Jelly story! Tell me about this one!

Caramel: Narwhal finds a new friend, an otter. And Jelly gets jealous. Even the title of the second chapter is Jealous Jelly.

S: So Jelly is worried about losing his best friend, right?

C: Yes, but he’s ok at the end. They all of them become good friends. And they go to outer space together for new adventures!

S: Did this story feel familiar to you Caramel? Did you ever find yourself in Jelly’s position? Or how about Narwhal? Or the otter in fact?

C: I feel more like the otter actually. I meet many new people every day. I like making new friends. And I like to pretend to be a river otter sometimes.

S: You do love to swim, don’t you?

C: Yep! Very very much! Can I tell you my favorite facts now?

S: Ok Caramel. But this time the facts are about otter, right?

C: Yes there are some otter facts in the book, but I want to tell you about jellyfish! Did you know that people fed jellyfish peanut butter?

“Aquarists (people who keep or maintain aquariums) at the Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas, tried feeding peanut butter to moon jellyfish and found out that the jellyfish cold thrive on it!”

And here is another fact about jellyfish I like:

“A jellyfish’s body is made up of about 95% water!”

And next to it there is a jellyfish saying “What-er?” Get it? It’s “what” and “water” at the same time!

S: That is funny Caramel. And that is a lot of water in the jellyfish. Do you know how much water we have in our bodies?

C: I thought 75% or something, right?

S: Apparently an adult human is 60% water, but since we are bunnies, we would need to look elsewhere. This reference guide says we are about two thirds water!

C: That’s still a lot of water. But jellyfish have still more water!

S: That is really interesting Caramel… Jellyfish do kind of feel watery don’t they? Remember you touched some moon jellyfish in that touch tank at the aquarium?

C: Yep. I remember. They were very smooth! One of them had a scar on its top…

S: Oh that’s sad Caramel… I wonder how it got the scar.

C: Maybe it got scratched by one of the kids touching it?

S: Yes, we have to be gentle with the creatures in the touch tank, right?

C: Right.

S: OK Caramel, tell me about how the book is organized. Does it have its usual three chapters and a fact chapter and a superhero chapter again?

C: I don’t remember. Let me look again. Yep! The superhero story is called Strawberry Sidekick vs The Deviled Egg this time.

S: The Sidekick is Jelly and the Egg is the otter? And Sidekick feels “egg-nored”, right?

C: Yes! Jelly is still mad at the otter at this point of the book. But then in the last chapter things all get better.

S: That sounds really neat Caramel. What did you like most about this book?

C: The pictures! I keep reading and reading the book over and over again.

S: Yes, there is not yet a fifth Narwhal and Jelly book. I’m sure you will be reading the fifth one as soon as it gets out, right?

C: Yup! I’m looking forward to it!

S: Till then, what are you going to do?

C: I guess I’ll read the four books I have again and again.

S: That’s commitment! We will still need to find another book to review next week.

C: Perhaps. I’m trying to sound mysterious here.

S: Yes, indeed you do sound mysterious Caramel! A great way to end your review!

C: Yay! Let me say it again: Stay tuned for more reviews from the Book Bunnies!

Caramel really enjoyed Narwhal's Otter Friend! — Caramel really enjoyed *Narwhal’s Otter Friend*!