fable – BookBunnies

Marshmallow reviews There’s A Hair In My Dirt! A Worm’s Story by Gary Larson

Today Marshmallow is reviewing There’s A Hair In My Dirt! A Worm’s Story by Gary Larson, first published in 1998. A fan of Larson’s The Far Side, Sprinkles is asking questions and taking notes.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, tell us a bit about what you thought when you first saw this book.

Marshmallow: I felt very surprised that Gary Larson had written a children’s book. I really like his Far Side comics, and we have a collection of them at home –and maybe we should review them some time!

S: Yes, maybe we should some day. But you are right. Larson is most well-known for his Far Side cartoons. But then you read this book and realized that maybe it is not quite a children’s book, right?

M: Nope. Do not have your children read this book!

S: Wait! Really? I mean, it is a bit rough for younger bunnies, and it is quite long for them, too, at 64 page, but older bunnies like yourself can appreciate it, I thought.

M: Yeah, I guess so. But it is kind of dark and even morbid. Then again, it is kind of a fable, with some underlying messages, which are thought-provoking. You are right, I guess bunnies my age and the like might appreciate the book. But I was definitely surprised and was not expecting how dark it would get.

Marshmallow is reading There's A Hair In My Dirt! A Worm's Story by Gary Larson. — Marshmallow is reading *There’s A Hair In My Dirt! A Worm’s Story* by Gary Larson.

S: Okay, so maybe we should start from the beginning and tell our readers what the book is about.

M: Sure. This book is about a little earthworm who is eating his dirt dinner in his family’s hole in the ground. And he finds a hair in his dirt and starts complaining to his earthworm parents. He hates being an earthworm, he hates living underground. He hates not having legs and having to eat dirt. And so on.

S: Totally understandable of course.

M: Of course. But then his father starts to tell him a story about a girl named Harriet. And then the rest of the book is basically Harriet’s story. Harriet lives near a forest and goes through the forest one day, seeing all sorts of animals interacting with one another, and she always has a positive outlook, thinking about Nature admiringly and yet not really comprehending what is really going on around her.

S: Yes, the foreword for the book is written by the famous biologist Edward O. Wilson and he writes “The maiden, as you will see as the narrative unfolds, might have enjoyed her saunter better if she understood.”

M: And it is not just a matter of enjoying; it costs her dearly that she does not understand. It is a little disturbing actually, because Harriet loves Nature, or what she thinks it is. And she wants to help and she is trying to be a good steward of living things, but since she does not know how things are all connected, she ends up harming the forest and herself.

S: This reminds me of this song “We Are All Connected” which some people made by putting together a few words from four outstanding science communicators:

M: Yeah, I like that song!

S: But let us not go further into the story because I think we might be getting too close to giving away some of the plot. Tell me, Marshmallow, what did you think about the illustrations?

M: It is in full color, and obviously it is Gary Larson, so all characters are distinctive, and they have very evocative expressions. It is very amusing to study them actually. The topic is complicated and nuanced, that we are all connected, and that, as Edward O. Wilson puts it, “Life is tough!” But Gary Larson’s drawings are often hilarious and you can’t help but laugh on almost every single page. Or raise your eyebrows in a shocked and yet amused manner. The mother earthworm is wearing those cat-eye glasses!

S: I know, right? Each page is itself a Far Side comic, almost. But they are all telling a coherent story, and it is an important one.

M: I agree. I do not really love the last page, but I agree. The message is important. And no, if you get a hold of this book, please do not just turn it to the last page to see what I mean! It will work much better if you read the book in the proper way.

S: And I agree with you, Marshmallow. This is a thought provoking book, not as light reading as one might imagine, but definitely amusing to look at, too. So maybe this is a good place to wrap up our review. What do you think?

M: Sure. Let’s.

S: What would you like to tell our readers?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates There's A Hair In My Dirt! A Worm's Story by Gary Larson 100%. — Marshmallow rates *There’s A Hair In My Dirt! A Worm’s Story* by Gary Larson 100%.

Marshmallow reviews The Rabbits’ Rebellion by Ariel Dorfman and Chris Riddell

Today Marshmallow reviews a little book with a big message, first published in 2020: The Rabbits’ Rebellion, written by Ariel Dorfman and illustrated by Chris Riddell.

Marshmallow reviews The Rabbits' Rebellion, written by Ariel Dorfman and illustrated by Chris Riddell. — Marshmallow reviews *The Rabbits’ Rebellion*, written by Ariel Dorfman and illustrated by Chris Riddell.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like children’s books about animals and clever political commentary, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): When the wolves invade the land of the rabbits, the Wolf of all Wolves crowns himself king and begins to make some wild claims. First of all, he—feeling quite omnipotent that day—declares that rabbits don’t exist. He bans any reference to them in books (by personally crossing them all out) or in conversation. Unfortunately, birds can fly and report seeing some, which spread rumors that perhaps rabbits do exist.

The king then decides then, if (as his fox advisor says) “seeing is believing,” he’ll make his subjects see exactly what type of a ruler he is. So he commands an old monkey to take regal photos of him to be put up in every town square, every neighborhood, and in every house. He forces the birds to carry these posters, tying their feet to an “endless” cord to make sure they can’t escape. Naturally, the old monkey is terrified of the king and bends to his every whim and want. In other words, he says, too, that rabbits don’t exist. On the other hand (or paw!), the monkey’s daughter—with the fearlessness of innocence—knows that rabbits do exist even though her parents make sure to censor her whenever it becomes necessary.

But that’s just the beginning of the old monkey’s struggles. Every time he takes a photo of the wolf king, there is some hint of a rabbit in the background. When the king shatters the beavers’ dam (which took them three years to build), there are two rabbits sitting on the grass in front of the camera. When the king snarls in the most ‘majestic’ manner, a long, fuzzy ear shows up in the corner. This is most problematic because the monkey can’t show the king photos that go against his rule that rabbits don’t exist. So he doctors his photos after they develop, erasing any and every trace of rabbit hair, ears, or tails.

As the king becomes increasingly more controlling, more egotistical, and more tyrannical, the monkey must keep taking photos and editing them. Despite the king’s advisor tightening security around the photo shoots (he doesn’t want the king to know about the rabbits either—it would look bad on him), the rabbits persistently keep up their rebellious photo-bombing. But how could they, when they don’t exist?

Marshmallow is reading The Rabbits' Rebellion, written by Ariel Dorfman and illustrated by Chris Riddell. — Marshmallow is reading *The Rabbits’ Rebellion*, written by Ariel Dorfman and illustrated by Chris Riddell.

Marshmallow’s Review: The Rabbits’ Rebellion is a really good book! It is written as a book for little children, and it reminds me of some Roald Dahl books I read earlier. Roald Dahl was unique in a way because his books could be read as childish tales, but they also touched on deeper topics. Likewise, the meaning of Dorfman’s book might not be understood by very young readers even though they would still enjoy reading about these mischievous rabbits who insist on existing! (Go, bunnies! Of course I cannot be too impartial here.)

At its core, The Rabbits’ Rebellion is about authoritarianism and dictatorship. The king’s suppression of truth, especially a truth that is so obvious, is in a way an almost comically extreme example of an Orwellian dystopia. In a way, this book is like Animal Farm or Nineteen Eighty-Four for young children. Except—spoiler alert—this one ends better than both of those books.

The Rabbits’ Rebellion is entertaining even if you don’t catch this theme. It is kind of like how one might enjoy reading parts of Animal Farm even without digging into the allegory. But Animal Farm ends at a quite depressing place for young bunnies to really enjoy it all the way to the end. Similarly, I learned that some parents have complained that the ending of The Rabbits’ Rebellion is too graphic to make it appropriate for a calm bedtime. So readers beware!

I found it interesting that the world of this book is so different yet also very similar to ours. There is no magic, but they do have cameras and books. Remember how in Maus the whole story only involved mice and a few other types of animals, but we could see our own world in it? Just in the same way, the differences and the similarities despite those differences help convey Dorfman’s message very clearly.

All in all, The Rabbits’ Rebellion has a really poignant yet simple plot and is a very thought-provoking book even though it is extremely short (only 63 pages). Written in large font and with really beautiful illustrations that evoke a serious, fairy-tale feel, it is quite easy to read, too. I think it could be a great way to introduce children to political thought and discussion. (I might reread Nineteen Eighty-Four as a result of reading The Rabbits’ Rebellion, because this book really reminded me of it.) Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to bunnies young and old, who both will find it entertaining (perhaps intellectually) and thought provoking.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates The Rabbits' Rebellion, written by Ariel Dorfman and illustrated by Chris Riddell 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The Rabbits’ Rebellion*, written by Ariel Dorfman and illustrated by Chris Riddell 100%.

Marshmallow reviews The Mysteries by Bill Watterson and John Kascht

Marshmallow is a big fan of Calvin and Hobbes, the comic strip about the often obnoxiously cynical but extremely curious six-year-old Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes who comes alive only when nobody else but Calvin is looking. Early during the COVID-19 pandemic, she reviewed The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury by Bill Watterson for the book bunnies blog. So she was very excited to hear that Watterson teamed up with the illustrator John Kascht in a new book project. Today Marshmallow talks to Sprinkles about this book, The Mysteries, which was published in October 2023.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow this book was not quite what we expected, was it?

Marshmallow: No.

S: We were kind of hoping to see something of Calvin and Hobbes, at least perhaps some humor, right?

M: I was.

S: But before we dig in any further, can you tell our readers what the book is about?

M: Sure. This is a fable about a small village or country in some faraway place which was near a big forest. And in the forest were scary things, things the people did not understand.

S: And maybe they were scared because they did not understand.

M: Actually that is probably one of the points of the story. Because they tried very hard to capture one of these scary things, they called them the Mysteries, and then when they caught one, they were not very impressed.

S: Hmm, so what do you think that means?

M: I am not sure. But maybe it refers to things like thunder and lightning and solar eclipses and earthquakes, which were very very scary things, until we figured out what they were really all about.

S: Hmm, so once we had scientific explanations for them, their power to inspire fear and awe diminished.

M: Yes, but I think it is more than that. I think the Mysteries represent the mysteries of the universe. They go beyond thunder and lightning. And maybe the people got a bit too arrogant once they figured out how thunder worked that there was no mystery left that they should be scared of. But lightning still starts fires. Earthquakes still cause lots of damage to life and property. So in some sense, we will never be able to completely tame and understand nature, let alone the whole universe.

S: I think you might be on to something Marshmallow.

Marshmallow is reading The Mysteries by Bill Watterson and John Kascht. — Marshmallow is reading *The Mysteries* by Bill Watterson and John Kascht.

S: Coming back to our original expectations about this book, maybe I am going to say, we actually should not have been too surprised.

M: What do you mean Sprinkles?

S: Maybe the end especially is pretty fitting for a fable coming from the creator of Calvin, the youngest and toughest misanthrope of all time.

M: What do you mean by that?

S: I feel like there is some pessimism about humans in the book. And I think there is some of that cynicism in Calvin, too.

M: Well, I did not notice that, but then again, when I read Calvin and Hobbes, I just laugh at his ridiculous plans and hilarious excuses for not doing what he is supposed to do.

S: Sure, there is definitely that level of hilarity to Calvin and Hobbes, but I’d say there is a lot of questioning of mainstream beliefs and assumptions, too, and some of the questioning does not leave much space for optimism. At least that is how I read it sometimes.

M: I guess I will need to reread Calvin and Hobbes, this time with that perspective, to see what you mean.

S: But coming back to The Mysteries, why do you think it is a fable?

M: Well, the space and time are not very clearly set, and it could be anywhere anytime, almost. And the kingdom seems to be all there is. And the authors are trying to give us a moral message.

S: Ooh, I like that! Can you tell me what that moral message is?

M: If we lose our awe of the mysteries of life and the universe just because we think we understand some of them, we might lose our respect for life and the universe, which can only end in disaster.

S: That is deep. Marshmallow!

M: But there is more. I think the fable is also telling us that there is always more mystery. That we will never run out of them, that there is always some magic and something to be in awe of when it comes to life and this universe.

S: I see. And the book says all this in so few words!

M: Yes. Each two-page spread has only a handful of words, and at least one of the two pages is a full page-picture.

S: Can you tell me a bit about the illustrations?

M: I think the only word that comes to my mind is “haunting”. Everything looks kind of deformed. The people look like they are made out of clay. It is almost like we are seeing our world but through some kind of a magic lens which shows us only the darker, more arrogant side of humanity.

S: In some sense though, I think one could read the ending as a hopeful message.

M: No!

S: I do! No matter what, life and the universe just go on.

M: I am not sure I agree with you on that, Sprinkles. But I guess we will just agree to disagree.

S: Sure, I am okay with that. But at least I think we agree that the core message is a warning.

M: Yes. We do agree. The core message is to warn people not to be too arrogant. As a species, humans should not get too arrogant. I think that is what the authors are saying. And they are telling us that we are like boats; a boat can cross the ocean but it can never conquer the waves.

S: That is a beautiful way to put it Marshmallow. Did you just come up with that yourself?

M: Yep.

S: I will definitely use that sentence again, Marshmallow, and I will cite you.

M: Thank you!

S: Okay, so let us wrap up this review then. What would you like to tell our readers?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow appreciated reading The Mysteries by Bill Watterson and John Kascht and talking about it with Sprinkles. — Marshmallow appreciated reading *The Mysteries* by Bill Watterson and John Kascht and talking about it with Sprinkles.

Marshmallow reviews The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds

A couple years ago, Caramel reviewed Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid, a 2005 book written by Megan McDonald and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. Soon after, Marshmallow reviewed Judy Moody Goes to College, yet another book written by McDonald and illustrated by Reynolds. But Peter Reynolds is not just an illustrator who works on other people’s books; he has his own books as well. Today Marshmallow reviews one of his most cherished books, The Dot, on its twentieth anniversary. Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, can you tell us a bit about this book?

Marshmallow: This is a book about creativity and artistic expression, even when you do not think you have it in you to be creative.

S: That is a neat recap of this book Marshmallow. So maybe let us go a bit into details. What exactly is the plot?

M: There is a little kid named Vashti and she thinks she cannot draw. So at the end of art class, her paper is still empty. And her teacher says, just make a mark and see where it takes you. And so she does. She stabs the paper and makes a dot.

S: Okay, then what happens?

M: Her teacher tells her to sign it.

S: Just a dot?

M: Yes.

S: Then what happens?

M: Well, I don’t want to give away the full story, but her teacher supports Vashti by showing that she values Vashti’s work even when Vashti does not think much of it. And then Vashti gets inspired to create more and more. And in the end, we see her encouraging another young person like her, who believes they are not creative at all, by telling them to “just make a mark and see where it takes you”.

S: So the idea is that you just get started, and then things go from there. Right?

M: Yep. You do not have to feel creative, you do not have to think you know what you are doing. But just get started, and just make your mark. The rest will follow.

Marshmallow is reading The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. — Marshmallow is reading *The Dot* by Peter H. Reynolds.

S: The author / illustrator dedicated this book to Mr. Matson, his seventh grade math teacher who “dared” him “to make [his] mark”. So even though the book is about art, it could be seen as a fable that is about any other thing we are not confident about, no?

M: Yes, I think so. I think the book is really inspiring.

S: I agree. What do you think of the illustrations and the visual aspects of the book?

M: I really like Peter Reynolds’ style. It is very simple, minimalistic, and sparse. But with the very few strokes of his pen, he draws really effective images.

S: Agreed.

M: I also like the way he uses color. Most of the book is in black and white but there are several well-placed splashes of color, which bring attention to specific items on the page. They add a lot to the feel of the whole book. By the way, the illustrations were apparently done with water color, ink, and tea. I wonder how he uses tea.

S: I have no idea!

M: I would like to know. But anyways, all in all I think this is a really neat book.

S: I agree. But Marshmallow, this is a picture book, and you do not review picture books much anymore. Do you perhaps not think this is for young bunnies only?

M: No, I think it can be inspirational for any bunny. Everyone needs some encouragement now and then.

S: Alright, that works for me. Maybe it is time to wrap up this review. What do you want to tell our readers?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow enjoyed reading The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds and recommends it to all bunnies little and big who need a little bit of courage to get started. — Marshmallow enjoyed reading *The Dot* by Peter H. Reynolds and recommends it to all bunnies little and big who need a little bit of courage to get started.