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Caramel reviews Homer Price by Robert McCloskey

Today Caramel reviews Homer Price, a book by Robert McCloskey first published in 1943. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, tell me about this book.

Caramel: This book is about a kid named Homer Price. Homer does many different things, like helping his uncle in the lunch room, which I think is essentially a restaurant, and building radios. This one is actually cool.

S: So Homer is a curious kid, and the book is about his adventures?

C: Yes. Or you could say his misadventures. A lot of unfortunate things happen. But in the end, he always comes out on top.

S: So you must like that, right? You like happy-ending books.

C: Yep. And Homer is a good kid. He is lucky but also pretty clever. And he likes to help other people.

S: Sounds a bit like you, Caramel.

C: Well, I don’t know how to build radios.

S: I bet you would like to give it a try.

C: Yes, I think I would.

S: Well, the summer is here, and school will be out soon, so maybe we can look into that.

C: I’d like that!

Caramel is reading Homer Price by Robert McCloskey. — Caramel is reading *Homer Price* by Robert McCloskey.

S: Okay, so tell me a bit more about the book.

C: There are six chapters in the book. Homer has a different adventure in each. The chapter titles are “The Case of the Sensational Scent”, “The Case of the Cosmic Comic”, “The Doughnuts”, “Mystery Yarn”, “Nothing New Under the Sun (Hardly)”, and “Wheels of Progress”. I think I like “The Doughnuts” the most.

S: Tell me more.

C: I think it is the funniest part of the book. There is this machine that makes doughnuts, and something goes wrong, and it does not stop, so it keeps making doughnuts nonstop.

S: So there is an unending supply of doughnuts? That does not seem like a terrible situation!

C: I like donuts too, but I guess you could have too many doughnuts. Anyways eventually it stops, so they have to figure out a way to sell all the doughnuts.

S: What was funny about the chapter?

C: How they panic about the unstopping doughnut machine! That was very funny. And there are pictures here and there in the book. The ones in this chapter are pretty funny. And you can see the doughnuts all over the place!

S: I see. I thought you might also enjoy the Cosmic Comic one.

C: Yes, I did. In that chapter, Homer and his friend Freddy go to meet Freddy’s favorite comic book superhero. And hilarity ensues.

S: That is a funny way of saying things Caramel! But so the book sounds like it is light and light-hearted.

C: Yes.

S: You know that this book was written quite a while ago, right? Does it show its age?

C: Not really. I mean there are no computers and cell phones around but otherwise the stories just sound like they could happen today too. Though a $100-award back then would probably be much bigger than it is today. That is from “The Doughnuts”.

S: I see. Okay, so if you were to describe this book in three to five words …

C: Hilarious, timeless adventures of a clever little boy.

S: That will do! So let us wrap this up then. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Homer Price by Robert McCloskey and learning about Homer's quirky adventures. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Homer Price* by Robert McCloskey and learning about Homer’s quirky adventures.

Caramel reviews The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse

Today Caramel reviews The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse, first published in 1956. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, tell us a bit about The Red Balloon.

Caramel: The Red Balloon is a friendly balloon and becomes friends with a boy named Pascal. Pascal is lonely. He does not have brothers or sisters, and his mom does not want him to have any pets. It also seems like he does not have friends at school. But the Red Balloon becomes his friend. They go to places together, and the Red Balloon waits for him when he has to go inside.

S: That sounds fantastical, but also very sweet.

C: I think so too. Pascal needs a friend, so the Red Balloon becomes his friend. But then there are some mean boys who try to take the Red Balloon from Pascal, and they chase him, and they try to blow it up. It is really sad, and I got really mad at those boys.

S: You are right, they are mean, and they are jealous I think. Pascal has a really magical friend, and they cannot have it so they want to destroy it. Pretty terrible.

C: But at least the end of the book is not unhappy.

S: I agree. The book has some sad moments, but there are lots of very happy and sweet parts, and the end is very sweet, too.

C: Yes.

Caramel is reading The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse. — Caramel is reading *The Red Balloon* by Albert Lamorisse.

S: The book has lots of pictures, and they are almost all black and white, except the balloon, which is bright red. What did you think of that?

C: I liked it. It made the balloon even more special.

S: I agree. We also watched together the film the book is based on. What did you think of the film?

C: It was good. But watching it made me even angrier at the boys. They were so mean!

S: Yes. Pascal is so alone at the beginning and he is so happy when he makes friends with the Red Balloon, and then the boys come and try to take it away from him.

C: I guess, like you said, they were really jealous. I mean, I’d love to be friends with a balloon like that!

S: But you have real friends, too, Caramel. Pascal does not seem to have any. So he needs it so much more.

C: Good point. Hey, Sprinkles, do you think we could put a link to the movie here so our readers can watch it too, if they want?

S: Sure.

The Red Balloon – A boy makes friends with a seemingly sentient red balloon, and it begins to follow him. It follows him to the bus stop, to school, and to church. They play together in the streets of Paris and try to elude a gang of boys that wants to steal it. The Red Balloon (1956) Director: Albert Lamorisse. From YouTube.

C: Thank you. I think the movie is really nice too. It is not totally black and white, but the Red Balloon is the brightest thing in it, too.

S: Yes. I think it definitely adds to its magic. So all in all, did you like this book?

C: Yes. But now I am wondering what it would feel like to have my own balloon friends.

S: It would definitely be fun, I am sure. Especially if like in the end you had many many balloon friends!

C: Sprinkles, you are giving away the end!

S: Okay, you are right. I will not say more. Maybe this is a good time to wrap up this review anyways. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel liked reading The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse and is now dreaming of traveling around the world hanging on a lot of friendly balloons. — Caramel liked reading *The Red Balloon* by Albert Lamorisse and is now dreaming of traveling around the world hanging on a lot of friendly balloons.

Caramel reviews Asterix Omnibus 1 by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo

Today Caramel talks about Asterix Omnibus 1, written by Rene Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo, the 2011 edition that brings together the very first three adventures of Asterix the Gaul. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Caramel reviews Asterix Omnibus 1, written by Rene Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. — Caramel reviews *Asterix Omnibus 1*, written by Rene Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, you finally discovered our Asterix collection.

Caramel: Yes.

S: And it seems like you have enjoyed reading them.

C: Yes. That’s why I wanted to talk about this one today.

S: Okay, so let us start. What is this book in your paws?

C: This is a collection of three stories about Asterix the Gaul and his friends.

S: Okay, so maybe you can tell us a bit about Asterix.

C: He is a Gaul, living in the Roman times. Apparently his village is the only village in Gaul that is not yet captured by the Romans. And they keep driving the Romans mad by being independent and so on. In these three stories we also get to meet the people from the village. There is Asterix’s best friend Obelix, and there is the village chief, Vitalstatistics, and the village potion maker druid, Getafix.

S: Those are some ridiculous names! I am guessing they are not in the original French. Anyways, continue please.

C: Okay. So Getafix makes a magic potion that makes the person who drinks it very very strong, and that is how the village has been able to defend itself against the Romans. And Obelix is very strong always, because apparently he fell into the potion cauldron when he was a baby. Anyways, the three stories are about them having some fun adventures.

S: So this is supposed to be in the ancient past, right?

C: Yep. So apparently Gaul is a part of Europe which is today split between France, Belgium, and a bunch of other countries. Wikipedia says that Romans conquered most of Gaul by 52 BCE. So according to the Asterix books, though, they did not manage to conquer this one little village.

S: So this is around 50 BCE?

C: Yes, the first sentence is “The year is 50 BC.” But you could also tell probably because Julius Caesar is alive and leading the Romans. And apparently he died in 44 BCE.

S: That makes sense.

Caramel is reading Asterix Omnibus 1, written by Rene Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. — Caramel is reading *Asterix Omnibus 1*, written by Rene Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo.

S: So this is an omnibus, which, according to our trusted online dictionary, is “a volume containing several novels or other items previously published separately.” So which stories are in this one volume?

C: There are three. The first is called “Asterix the Gaul”. Then there is “Asterix and the Golden Sickle”. And finally “Asterix and the Goths”.

S: According to Wikipedia, these were first published in 1961, 1962, and 1963, respectively. That is a long time ago. Can you tell?

C: Not really. The stories all happen way back in time. And they are just as funny as they would be if they were written today. But I did read that some Asterix stories have issues with race. The way they represent people of African origin would be racist today, so those stories would probably not even be published.

S: That is a very sensitive issue Caramel. I am impressed that you took the time to learn about it and are sharing it with us.

C: At least those issues do not come up in these three stories. I mean, the Goths are pretty mean and sometimes stupid in the third story, and the Wikipedia article says that was because the authors had strong anti-German feelings because it was so soon after World War II. But that would not be racism even though it is still not a nice thing to do, stereotyping people like that.

S: You are right Caramel. Okay, let us move on to a lighter topic. I know my sister used to laugh out loud when reading these; did you find them funny too?

C: Yes. There is a funny thing on each page, and if you actually look carefully at the individual frames, there is a lot of other hilarious stuff happening, too. The characters are all funny themselves too.

S: They are all very caricaturish, actually. Some characters have huge noses, some are round like a ball, and so on. A lot of them have exaggerated features.

C: Yes, and that makes it funny. And the pictures are all very colorful.

S: I am getting the sense that you really enjoyed reading this book.

C: I did.

S: How would you describe it in three to five words?

C: Hilarious, cartoony, and Roman-ful.

S: Come on, those are not words!

C: Okay. Hilarious cartoons full of Romans. That’s five words!

S: Alright, that works. I think this is a good time to wrap up the review. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Asterix Omnibus 1, written by Rene Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo, and recommends it to other bunnies who might enjoy reading about a stubborn village full of hilarious people standing up against the big Roman Empire. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Asterix Omnibus 1*, written by Rene Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo, and recommends it to other bunnies who might enjoy reading about a stubborn village full of hilarious people standing up against the big Roman Empire.

Caramel reviews Amos & Boris by William Steig

It is February, and Caramel is back! Today he is talking to Sprinkles about Amos & Boris, a sweet book by William Steig first published in 1971.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, it is another year, and here we are talking about another book.

Caramel: Yes. There are a lot of books out there.

S: Sure. So what can you tell us about this book you chose for today?

C: This is the story of two animals, named Amos and Boris, who become friends.

S: Tell me more.

C: Amos is a rat. Or a mouse, rather. And Boris is a whale.

S: Okay.

C: Amos wants to travel around the world, but he can’t swim, so Boris saves him. And then they travel together in the oceans for a while and they become friends.

S: So it is a friendship story, right?

C: Yes. It is very much a friendship story.

S: Do you get a good sense of these two characters?

C: Yes. Amos is very kind and caring. Boris is more confident but not arrogantly so. He is also kind.

S: So is kindness one of the messages of the book?

C: Yes. Especially because their kindness is what helps them help one another.

Caramel is reading Amos & Boris by William Steig. — Caramel is reading *Amos & Boris* by William Steig.

S: I see. So what did you think of the story overall?

C: I thought it was very good. I thought it was excellent! Put a link to a meme of Mr. Burns saying “Excellent!”

S: Okay, let me try:

via GIPHY

C: That worked! Yay!

S: Okay, but I am not sure it relates to the book we are talking about.

C: Well, I said the book was excellent!

S: I see. So tell me what you liked about the book then.

C: I liked their friendship. How they helped each other.

S: I see. That is sweet Caramel! What else did you like? Did you like the illustrations?

C: Yes. They are very simple looking but when you look closely there are so many details in each of them! Also in many of them Boris the whale is smiling! And I like that! And sometimes the mouse Amos is also smiling, and that is also nice.

S: Yes, the pictures do look quite simple and simplistic, but now that you told me, I took a better look, and you are so right, there are so many details!

C: Well, I don’t want to say I am always right but you know…

S: Okay, let us not get ahead of ourselves. So you liked the pictures, you liked the characters, you liked the story.

C: Exactly. As I said before, channeling Charles Montgomery Plantagenet Schicklgruber “Monty” Burns, it is excellent!

S: Well, no wonder it is still in print after such a long time. Did you know that this book was first published in 1971? That is more than half a century ago. Does it feel old?

C: No not at all.

S: It makes sense though. From what you are telling me, it sounds like it is telling a timeless story, of friendship and kindness.

C: Yes.

S: And it sounds like you really appreciated it.

C: Yes.

S: Would you have liked it if I had read it to you when you could not read it yourself?

C: Yes. In fact, maybe after we finish this review, you can read it to me. I still like to read together with you.

S: Oh sweet Caramel, of course I will read it to you. Let us wrap this up then. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading Amos & Boris by William Steig and recommends it to all young bunnies who love the sea, and even those who don't, because, why not? — Caramel loved reading *Amos & Boris* by William Steig and recommends it to all young bunnies who love the sea, and even those who don’t, because, why not?