Today Caramel reviews a cute book by Joey Spiotto, Max, a Little Axolotl, published first in 2025. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.
Caramel reviews Max, a Little Axolotl by Joey Spiotto.
Sprinkles: So Caramel, this book must have been a great find for you, because you love axolotls, right?
Caramel: Yeah, it was and I do.
S: So tell me a bit about it then.
C: So in the beginning Max, who is, as stated by the title, a little axolotl, is living in a lake in Mexico when all of a sudden, humans show up and start polluting and ruining the environment. Then a human captures Max and puts him in a little tank, then takes him to an aquarium, called the Aquarium of the Bay. There, there are other water animals. And Max makes friends.
S: Cool story!
C: Yeah! The other animals in the aquarium try to play a ball game with Max, but he doesn’t know how to play the game. They lose the ball in a cave, in which they believe there to be a sea monster.
S: Ooh, so that sounds exciting! I am guessing nothing too terrible happens though, I mean other than Max’s original home being polluted…
C: Yeah, what they think is a sea monster is just—-
S: Ooh, let us not give away all the details!
C: Okay, I guess that makes sense.
S: Did you know that Lake Xochimilco actually exists? Wikipedia says that it is the last remaining natural habitat of the axolotl.
C: No, I didn’t. But that’s really sad.
S: Yes. There are a lot of endangered animals out there. It is really sad.
C: And axolotls are so cute! And my other favorite animals, the pangolin, are also endangered. It is just not fair. Why are all the cute animals, other than us, of course, endangered?
S: I don’t know. But of course, even if they were not cute, it would be sad, right?
C: Yes, of course, but it does seem to be most of the cute ones, just saying.
Caramel is reading Max, a Little Axolotl by Joey Spiotto.
S: So what did you think of the drawings of the book?
C: They were all very cute and very very colorful.
S: Somehow I was reminded of some of your other favorite books in this genre. I am thinking of the Narwhal and Jelly books. The pictures are cute, the characters are water-based animals who are friends, and there are also some facts in the book, too.
C: Yeah, I can see that! But this one has more kawaii aspects, like the artist gave Max shiny big eyes and colorful spots and such, whereas Narwhal and Jelly don’t have such things; they are in some ways more simple.
S: Yeah, I see what you mean. What did you think of the facts at the end?
C: They were actually very informative.
S: I liked how he titled that section “Facts-olotl”..
C: Yeah, me too. It was funny! The title is also funny that way. I mean, try saying “Max a Little Axolotl”. It rhymes!
S: Yes! I had not noticed that! How cool is that?
C: Very.
S: Okay, so did you learn anything new? Because I know you already know a lot about a lot of things.
C: Yeah, I did. In fact, did you know that axolotls are actually amphibious, meaning they could live on land, but they spend their whole lives underwater?
S: That is so weird! And no, I did not know that. Thank you for teaching me Caramel.
C: You’re welcome!
S: Okay, so this might be a good time to end this review. What would you like to tell our readers Caramel?
C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!
Caramel enjoyed reading Max, a Little Axolotl by Joey Spiotto and recommends this to other young bunnies who love animals.
Today Caramel reviews Wampum Belts of the Iroquois, a book first published in 1999 by Tehanetorens. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.
Caramel reviews Wampum Belts of the Iroquois by Tehanetorens.
Sprinkles: Today you are reviewing a nonfiction book. It has been a while since you last reviewed a nonfiction book, no?
S: True. Okay, so this book is also nonfiction. Tell me a bit about what it is about.
C: It’s about the wampum belts, which denote or commemorate laws, treaties and commitments. The Iroquois people make them and wear them, and the book talks about a lot of different examples of these belts.
S: That sounds really interesting. Tell me more.
C: The book is about a school project. The person who wrote the book is the teacher, and his students at the Onkwehonwe Neha School worked with beads and other traditional materials to make replicas of important wampum belts. The book has a lot of different types of these belts. And the student who made each belt poses with the belt so you can see them too. They are really cool. I only wish the pictures were in color.
S: But even though they are in black and white, the pictures already show how many different types of wampum belts there are, right?
C: Yes. And for each belt, besides the photo of the child who made the belt, there is a lot of information about the belt. For example there is a belt called the Hiawatha or the ayonwatha belt, which shows the union between five nations (the five tribes making up the Iroquois), and looks like a wide dark belt with two white squares on either side of either a heart or a tree, which represents one of each nation, and they are connected by a line that symbolizes their union. It is neat how it symbolizes the five nations coming together.
S: I know that in a lot of traditional societies where rugs and carpets are woven, the people who weave them put in a lot of information into their work. These belts remind me of that kind of a tradition, a way to memorialize important events in objects that can also be used.
C: Yes, they are practical and useful but also beautiful. I really liked them.
Caramel is reading Wampum Belts of the Iroquois by Tehanetorens.
S: Also these specific belts were able to connect the students who made them with their traditions and histories. It must have been a very engaging school project.
C: Yes, it is kind of like the ofrenda I made at school for my maternal grandfather. It was a way for me to learn more about him, because you know, I never met him, and when I was making it, you told me a lot more stories about him.
S: Yes, kind of like that. Of course that was more about your personal history, rather than the history of a whole people, but still you are right that it hopefully allowed you to connect a bit more deeply with someone from your past.
C: Yes.
S: So Caramel, what made you want to review this book?
C: You know I love fact-full books and this one is definitely full of facts. And it has lots of interesting pictures. And the kids holding their belts look so serious and proud, it is really neat to look at them. So I wanted to tell other young bunnies about it because the book is really neat.
S: That is fair.
C: There are also a lot of hand-drawn pictures in there, and those are cool too. Almost every page has some picture and so the book is really easy to read.
S: Yes, the pictures make it so engaging, you are right.
C: Of course.
S: Okay, Caramel, so maybe this is a good time to wrap up the review.
C: Again it is a school night, so I agree.
S: So let us do just that. What do you want to tell our readers?
C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!
Caramel enjoyed reading Wampum Belts of the Iroquois by Tehanetorens and learning about this interesting tradition of the Iroquois.
A while back Caramel read and reviewed Katherine Rundell’s book titled Impossible Creatures. Today he is talking to Sprinkles about the sequel, The Poisoned King, published originally in 2025.
Caramel reviews The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell.
Caramel: Yup, it is also just as good as the first one.
S: I love it when that happens! So tell me a bit about this book. You had said that the previous book had ended a bit sad. Does this one pick up where that one ended and maybe things get happier?
C: No, I think it’s a little later, maybe a year or so.
S: The same characters?
C: Yes, some of them are the same.
S: Great! So there is some continuity. That is good. So tell us about the story.
C: Yeah, so in the beginning, there is a girl named Anya who is a princess, and her grandfather is killed. So Anya tries to figure out who did that.
S: So is Anya’s grandfather the poisoned king in the title?
C: Yes.
S: So how does Christopher from the other book show up?
C: He doesn’t show up for a while. But we are in the same world and same archipelago.
S: Ooh, and are the same magical creatures from that book still here?
C: Yes.
S: Is the whole book about Anya trying to find who poisoned her grandfather?
C: Sort of. But there are also dragons dying from the same poison.
S: Hmm, kind of like the first book where the magical creatures were in danger.
C: Yeah, except the dragons’ gold is also being stolen.
S: That is interesting! So multiple mysteries all at once.
C: Yeah, but all connected.
S: That makes sense.
Caramel is reading The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell.
S: So in the first book there were a lot of illustrations and you really liked them. Are there any in this one, too?
C: Yeah, it’s like the first one where the pictures are shown only when an important event is described. They are done by the same person, Ashley MacKenzie, and they are just as good. But again, it could have been nice to have more of them.
S: Yeah, I see. Did the book end in a cliffhanger?
C: Yes, it sort of did so there has to be a third book and I have to read it!
S: Yes, apparently there is a third book and it is coming out this September. Its name is The Neverfear.
C: That is a strange title. The other two titles were more regular titles. I wonder what Neverfear means. But yay! I really have to read that book!
S: I am glad you liked this book that much Caramel. So it was fun to read?
C: Yes! I mean, they have magic and they have dragons! Who wouldn’t like that?
S: I know, right? Okay, so before we wrap up this review, tell me if a reader could read this second book before reading the first one. Would it still work? Or should they read the first book before diving into this one?
C: it would be good to have read the first one. You’d have a better understanding of the world. And the characters and the stories from the first book come up here, too, so this second book would not make as much sense to someone who has not read the first book.
S: I see, thank you Caramel, that makes sense. So let us wrap it up then. What would you like to tell our readers?
C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!
Caramel enjoyed reading The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell and is looking forward to the third and last installment of this trilogy.
Many years ago, in the very early days of this blog Caramel reviewed a classic, Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson. Today he is talking to Sprinkles about a sequel of sorts, Harold at the North Pole, published originally in 1957.
Caramel reviews Harold at the North Pole by Crockett Johnson.
Sprinkles: I was so excited to find this little book last week! So even though it is a Christmas book and we are nowhere close to Christmas, I thought it would be fun to talk about it today.
Caramel: Yup. And I agreed. Because who doesn’t want to talk about Santa Claus and snow and Christmas gifts?
S: I know, right? I mean we just couldn’t wait till December.. Anyways, our readers probably remember Harold, the little boy in blue overalls who creates the world around him with his ginormous purple crayon.
C: Yeah, I would expect so. You and I talked about Harold and the Purple Crayon all the way back in 2020, so if they don’t remember, they can just read our old post.
S: Yep. That was right around the time the pandemic really took off!
C: Yeah, the pandemic was around that time, which was pretty terrible. But the book was really good. And later, we also saw the live-action movie, which was actually pretty good.
S: Yeah, I remember watching it with you and liking it. It seems like the critics didn’t like it much, but we enjoyed it.
C: Yup, we did. Maybe you can put a link to the trailer in the post?
S: Sure. Here is the trailer of the movie:
Harold and The Purple Crayon: official trailer, from YouTube.
C: Thanks. It was fun to watch.
S: So let us get back to Harold at the North Pole.
C: Sure. So this is about Harold, the very same little boy, But in the cover this time he is wearing green overalls, and a red hat. Very Christmas-y!
S: Yeah, he is not in his blue overalls any more, but you are right, the red-green fits the holiday season very well. And the crayon is still purple, right?
C: Yup. So this time, Harold wants to find a Christmas tree before Santa can visit his home. So he goes out and tries to find a tree. Along the way he finds himself at the North Pole and ends up helping Santa. He also helps draw up Santa’s reindeer and a sleigh full of presents. And finally he gets back home and settles down near a fireplace to wait for Santa.
S: Yep. That sounds about right.
C: Actually I think it kind of sounds a bit eerie. The boy is always alone, and there is nobody and nothing around him until he draws them. It is almost like a scary dream.
Caramel is reading Harold at the North Pole by Crockett Johnson.
S: Wait, if you read it like that, then it does not come across like a cute, warm, and fuzzy story.
C: No, it doesn’t. And when you look back at the first book, that also could be the same, with Harold all alone, making stuff up as he goes around living all alone. Abandoned.
S: Hmm, yes, I can see that. But it is not really the real world that he is in, is it? He is not all alone in a scary way really. I think maybe we are in Harold’s imaginary world, as he is recreating the world. The transitions from home, to the northern woods, to the North Pole, back home would be dizzying if real. But they are not. Harold just flows smoothly from one place to the other, as smoothly as he can draw something.
C: Or actually he does not flow anywhere and the places just smoothly flow around him as he draws them. Yes, I know, it is not really about a little child all alone in a scary way, but I just wanted to say it would be kind of weird if this were real.
S: I guess that is why the movie version made the situation so weird. Nobody would believe the grown-up Harold.
C: I wouldn’t. But you know, if the crayon were real, it would be really cool! And dangerous! All those bad people who were after the crayon in the movie, it totally makes sense, because the crayon is so powerful if you can create reality all by drawing something.
S: Yes.
C: So okay, the books are really sweet, they are not scary at all. I just wanted to say they are also a bit weird, but when read in their own story world, they are really sweet. And I think any little bunny would enjoy imagining themselves with a purple crayon and trying to figure out what they would draw with it and going into adventures with it and so on.
S: Yeah, for sure. So what would you draw with it if you had the purple crayon?
C: I would draw the seventeenth book of Wings of Fire; lock in Sutherland!
S: Not sure it works that way, Caramel…
C: Dang it. Still, lock in Sutherland, I love those books, come out with more, please.
S: Okay, maybe she will some day. She has to go forth with the new story arc she started in the sixteenth book anyways. But so you wouldn’t draw anything else? I could draw an ice cream machine that makes ice cream for me, a bubble bath, a beautiful sunset, a comfy big chair, and lots of books and bookshelves around it where I could read.. I can go on forever!
C: Well, Sprinkles, we do have lots of books and bookshelves in our house, and there is a comfy chair nearby too.
S: Yes, I know we are lucky. And maybe the things Harold draws are also kind of homelike, like a fireplace, and an armchair to sit on, and his home is also a regular home, just comfy.
C: Like our home. Our home is comfy too.
S: True… Okay, so overall what did you think of this book?
C: It is cute. It would even make sense to a young person who has not read the original book, but if the young person liked that first book, they would definitely enjoy reading this around the holidays. It would make a good Christmas gift.
S: Yeah, it is kind of surreal, but young bunnies can get into surreal stories very quickly.
C: Yeah, just ignore the probable psychological implications of why Harold has no parents, friends or any other people near him. Then it makes perfect sense.
S: You’re kidding, right? No young person would be worried reading this. Many picture books about young people don’t have other actors in them.
C: Of course, yeah, it’s not scary, it’s a nice story. It is just that parents should probably be ready if their young bunny asks them these kinds of questions. It is about fun and imagination and not abandonment. Just in case, ya know.
S: Hmm, I think you have an overactive imagination sometimes Caramel.
C: Sometimes? I am offended. I have a perfectly normal imagination. And always.
S: Okay, sorry, didn’t mean it that way. You do have a big imagination.
C: The book is about Harold going north to find a Christmas tree, and then he finds himself at the north pole, and then he draws Santa and the whole Santa workshop, and then helps him make presents, then goes home, and realizes he forgot to find a tree, so he makes one. I think Crockett Johnson has an overactive imagination.
S: Yes I definitely agree. And it all makes the book suitably fun for the holidays. Which are about seven months away…
C: But it is never too early to dream of Christmas!
S: And it is actually time for some dreams. Bedtime, Caramel?
C: Yup. I think it is right about my bedtime.
S: So then let us wrap this up. What would you like to tell our readers?
C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!
Caramel loved revisiting Harold while reading Harold at the North Pole by Crockett Johnson and hopes that many others will enjoy it this next Christmas or any other time of the year.
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