friendship – Page 2 – BookBunnies

Caramel reviews Zombie and Brain Are Friends by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic and Laan Cham

It is that most spooky time of the year, and here in the book bunnies house, we are getting ready for Halloween. So Caramel thought it would be appropriate to talk about a book with zombies in it which just got published this past month: Zombie and Brain Are Friends, written by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic and illustrated by Laan Cham. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Caramel reviews Zombie and Brain Are Friends, written by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic and illustrated by Laan Cham. — Caramel reviews *Zombie and Brain Are Friends*, written by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic and illustrated by Laan Cham.

Sprinkles: So it is almost Halloween and we are just in time to talk about this picture book about a zombie and a brain that become friends.

Caramel: Yep.

S: Can you tell us a bit about the book?

C: Sure, the story happens in a world in which there are only zombies (at least we don’t see any other people, humans or bunnies), and this one zombie family farms brains. And in this book brains grow in fields.

S: So kind of like cabbage?

C: Yeah, kinda.

S: Okay, that will take some getting used to, but let us continue.

C: Yeah, so in this family there is a boy zombie, whose name is Zeb. And one day, Zeb finds a baby brain while walking around, and he realizes that it’s alive. And they become friends.

S: But the brain is food basically, right?

C: I guess it’s like when people have a pet pig and they still eat pork. Kind of confusing but seems to happen all the time.

S: I see. Okay so the brain is foodstuff, but Zeb becomes friends with it. The back of the book was talking about the thing a lot of parents say to their little ones: “Don’t play with your food”. One could imagine then that this causes some trouble in the household?

C: Not really. But there is some confusion, and things get out of hand a bit. At least for a while.

S: Hmm, but hopefully all ends well?

C: Of course! It is a picture book, Sprinkles! Nothing too bad could happen.

S: Of course you are right, Caramel.

Caramel is reading Zombie and Brain Are Friends, written by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic and illustrated by Laan Cham. — Caramel is reading *Zombie and Brain Are Friends*, written by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic and illustrated by Laan Cham.

S: Okay, so what did you think about the book?

C: It is quite weird actually. You know I actually don’t like zombies, they kind of scare me, but this book was not scary at all. It was in fact good. And weird. You know, brains growing in bushes! Zombie farmers farming brains! And brains making friends with zombies! All so weird! But in a good way.

S: I do know you don’t really love zombies. Remember the time I reviewed a whole lot of children’s books about zombies?

C: Yeah, I didn’t like those books too much.

S: I know you did not like several of them. But I think you found one of them a lot of fun: Zombies Hate Stuff. It was quite funny, like Penguins Hate Stuff, which you had reviewed a bit earlier.

C: Yeah, penguins do hate a lot of stuff.

S: Apparently so do zombies! But from this book we learn that they also love brains!

C: Everyone already knows that, Sprinkles! Don’t they always go around saying “Brainzzz!”?

S: Yeah, but they can love brains, not just to eat, but also for friendship!

C: Yes, it is true that we learn that in this book. But again, it is not a real thing. Zombies being friends with brains, and brains growing in fields, and so on.

S: Of course the brain-eating zombies themselves are not real, either.

C: And I am so happy about that!

S: I agree, Caramel. So this book was quite absurd in some sense, right? Things did not make too much sense in our world. There was some weird logic within the story world, but it did require ignoring a lot of what we are supposed to know about brains and zombies to get into the story.

C: Yes, but then again, I prefer not to know much about zombies. I decided to read this book because it had a very friendly-looking pink brain and a smiling green-faced boy on the cover, and it said they were friends. I always like stories about good friends.

S: True, your very first review was about the beginning of one of those legendary friendships, when Narwhal met Jelly!

C: Yes! I love Narwhal and Jelly! Anyways, Zombie and Brain Are Friends was a lot of fun to read.

S: We, in fact, read it out loud together, right?

C: And we laughed out loud together, too!

S: Yes! Okay, maybe this is a good time to end this review. We need our sleep before Friday, so that night we can do all sorts of spooky things–

C: Yes! And eat lots and lots of candy!

S: Of course! What would you like to tell our readers then?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews! And I hope you, too, will get lots and lots of candy on Halloween!

Caramel enjoyed reading Zombie and Brain Are Friends, written by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic and illustrated by Laan Cham, and recommends it to young bunnies who wish to meet some friendly zombies this Halloween season. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Zombie and Brain Are Friends*, written by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic and illustrated by Laan Cham, and recommends it to young bunnies who wish to meet some friendly zombies this Halloween season.

Caramel reviews The Wild Robot on the Island by Peter Brown

Caramel has read and loved all three Wild Robot books by Peter Brown. He has also appreciated the Wild Robot movie when it came out last year. Today he is talking to Sprinkles about the most recent Wild Robot book, The Wild Robot on the Island: An Illustrated Picture Book Adaptation of The Wild Robot, written and illustrated by Peter Brown and published this past summer (June 2025).

Readers should also check out Caramel’s reviews of The Wild Robot, The Wild Robot Escapes, and The Wild Robot Protects.

Caramel reviews The Wild Robot on the Island: An Illustrated Picture Book Adaptation of The Wild Robot, written and illustrated by Peter Brown. — Caramel reviews *The Wild Robot on the Island: An Illustrated Picture Book Adaptation of The Wild Robot*, written and illustrated by Peter Brown.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, we are finally talking about the picture book version of The Wild Robot; are you excited?

Caramel: Yep, because it is a very good book, the original and this version.

S: When I first heard about this, I thought it would be a new story, but it seems this is basically the original story, right?

C: Yes it is the same story, but more simplified. So there is a robot named Roz that gets lost in the ocean after a boat loses all of what it is carrying. And the robot finds itself on an island. And then it goes around looking for and making friends. It is really a sweet story!

S: Yes, I remember the book and the movie.

C: I am guessing this one is for younger bunnies. Because the original book was for bunnies who could read a big book. This is a picture book.

S: Yes, that makes sense to me. Younger bunnies could not read the original book really. It was over two hundred pages. This one is a nice standard-sized picture book.

C: And there are very few words on each page in this version. The other one had a lot more words of course.

Caramel is reading The Wild Robot on the Island: An Illustrated Picture Book Adaptation of The Wild Robot, written and illustrated by Peter Brown. — Caramel is reading *The Wild Robot on the Island: An Illustrated Picture Book Adaptation of The Wild Robot*, written and illustrated by Peter Brown.

S: I think the book is illustrated by the author, right?

C: Yeah, from what I can tell.

S: Are they similar to the illustrations in the original? There were some pictures in those too, no?

C: Yeah, the style is very similar to the original book.

S: Maybe the author wanted readers to have the same mental images he has for the characters and the locations and such. The movie was also very pretty, but it was kind of different visually.

C: Yeah, maybe. The movie was beautiful, and I loved it. But the illustrations in the original book and now in this new picture book are all slightly different. And they are also very beautiful. Speaking of the movie, can we add a link to the trailer? You just reminded me of how good the movie was…

S: Sure. Here it is.

C: Thank you! Maybe we will watch it again some day.

S: Maybe; I could like that too. But now let us get back to the book. Do you think that maybe the author thought the picture book was a good idea now that so many younger bunnies have actually seen the movie?

C: Maybe, I don’t know, but it was a fast read for me.

S: Well, you are a very good reader, Caramel.

C: I do read a lot, true. Maybe this book could get some bunnies into the bigger books. After all, there are two more books after the original one!

S: And I know you actually would love it if there were a fourth book…

C: Yes, I really want a fourth book. That would be very very very good.

S: Okay, maybe we publish this post and who knows, maybe it will eventually get to the author’s ears…

C: Yes, dear reader, if you are Peter Brown, the creator of The Wild Robot, then please write a fourth book! I really would love to read more of Roz’s adventures.

S: Okay, maybe we can wrap this up then. You have made your opinions quite clear. So what would you like to tell the rest of our readers then?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading The Wild Robot on the Island: An Illustrated Picture Book Adaptation of The Wild Robot, written and illustrated by Peter Brown, and is hoping that soon there will also be new adventures for Roz and friends. — Caramel loved reading *The Wild Robot on the Island: An Illustrated Picture Book Adaptation of The Wild Robot*, written and illustrated by Peter Brown, and is hoping that soon there will also be new adventures for Roz and friends.

Marshmallow reviews Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels by Tọlá Okogwu

A while back Marshmallow read Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu and, as you can see from her review, enjoyed it a lot. Today she reviews Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels, the second story recounting Onyeka’s adventures, published in 2023.

The book bunnies will be taking off for a short summer break during the month of July. We look forward to seeing you in August with many new books!

Marshmallow reviews Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels by Tọlá Okogwu. — Marshmallow reviews *Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels* by Tọlá Okogwu.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about magic, friends, family, and new magical worlds, or have enjoyed reading the previous Onyeka book, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): When Onyeka first came to the Academy of the Sun, she learned that there is a whole new world of magic hidden in Nigeria. The Academy shelters and teaches Solari children and young adults, who all have Ike or special magical powers. Doctor Dòyìnbó, who runs the Academy, trained them all to “serve Nigeria” with their Ikes. Until recently, Onyeka believed–just like all the other Solari–that their powers came from exposure to a leaked material. At the end of the first Onyeka book, she learned that the material was leaked by Doctor Dòyìnbó, who intentionally “gave” the Solari their Ike. While this might sound noble, the children who gained Ike were taken from their families to be trained by Dòyìnbó at the Academy to “serve Nigeria,” or more precisely himself. Naturally, once Onyeka and her friends discovered that basically everything Doctor Dòyìnbó told them was a lie, they rebelled.

Now at the beginning of this second book, they are hiding as fugitives since the whole Academy has turned against them, with Doctor Dòyìnbó keeping the truth secret from the rest of the students and staff of the Academy. Onyeka, her friends, and her aunt have to plan their next course of action, and find themselves at a crossroads: they can storm the Academy to try to reveal the truth, or they can search for the Rogues (a group Dòyìnbó characterized as the Solaris’ enemy, likely because they uncovered his plan) to join forces.

At the same time, Onyeka’s scientist aunt has been working to fabricate a formula that corrects the Ike’s negative side effects; normally, all Solari suffer from nausea, sickness, and, after years of using their Ike, death. Luckily, she figures it out! Onyeka and her friends soon elect to find the Rogues, yet Onyeka is reluctant to trust them. After Dòyìnbó’s betrayal and elaborate falsities, she feels as though it is too risky. She does not tell the Rogues (who are also Solari, but they live in a secret base hidden from Dòyìnbó and the Academy) about the formula they made, waiting for proof that they won’t misuse it.

Onyeka, her friends, and the Rebels mount their defenses and plan for how they will overtake Dòyìnbó. But the whole time, Onyeka has been visited by Dòyìnbó in her dreams. She keeps this a secret too. But as Paul Tournier once said, “Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets.” Throughout the book, Onyeka faces inner turmoil like nothing she has experienced before as secrets are revealed, wars are waged, and her life is forever changed.

Marshmallow is reading Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels by Tọlá Okogwu. — Marshmallow is reading *Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels* by Tọlá Okogwu.

Marshmallow’s Review: I think that this was a very well thought-out book. Onyeka’s character is front and center, but I am also glad that we got to see more of the other characters. That said, I was so mad that she does the same “I have to be the hero” thing as every other teenage protagonist (*cough, cough* Harry Potter). I would have presumed she would have been able to think about the situation with more understanding of depth. But she still makes the same mistakes because she is looking at everything in a very 2D way. I was a little surprised because her struggles and thoughts were almost identical to Harry Potter’s, which shows how this book is also another great fantasy series. However, I would also warn readers that you might be tempted to yell at the book because of how precisely she follows the same silly hero pitfalls. The plot is definitely unique though and the same can be said for the world Okogwu has created. I really love how the new magical aspects of the Academy and the futuristic tech the Solari use blend into the rich Nigerian culture the characters celebrate. That really makes this book special.

I think reading books like Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels is definitely vital for a diverse society. It is neat to see heroes from different backgrounds that many people have never really been able to see before. It’s heart-warming to see that there are more and more stories like this! But setting that aside, Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels is a really good book on its other merits too. The plot is on-point, sharp, and doesn’t lull. Even when the characters are not physically doing much, there is still a lot going on in terms of social dynamics and emotions. This is a really good book and–though it resolves at the end, sort of–I am excited to read the next one!

This being our last post till August, I have to say… Happy summer reading and stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the Book Bunnies!

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels by Tọlá Okogwu 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels* by Tọlá Okogwu 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Sweet Valley Twins: The Graphic Novel (Best Friends and Teacher’s Pet) by Nicole Andelfinger and Claudia Aguirre

A few years ago, Marshmallow read and reviewed Kristy’s Great Idea (The Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novels #1) written by Ann M. Martin in the 1980s and 1990s and adapted into a graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier in 2006. Today she is reviewing Sweet Valley Twins: The Graphic Novel by Nicole Andelfinger and Claudia Aguirre, another book whose origins lie in a beloved book series from the 1980s written by Francine Pascal. The edition she is writing about combines the first two books, Best Friends and Teacher’s Pet, in one volume and was published just this year, in 2025. Other artists who contributed to the book include Sara Hagstrom, Andrea Bell, and Warren Montgomery.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about friendship, sisters, family, and drama, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield are identical twins. In Best Friends, they start off as each other’s best friend. But like all middle-school aged girls and all book characters of that age, the two have started changing. In my opinion though, the one who is changing more is Jessica. Jessica has become increasingly more interested in boys and popularity, which is natural to an extent. Unfortunately, she has been recruited to join the Unicorns (which is a lot like the Plastics from Mean Girls). In order to get in, Jessica has to prove herself by completing three dares. Elizabeth is more interested in the Sweet Valley Sixers, the school newspaper she founded with her other friends Amy Sutton and Julie Porter. Both Elizabeth and Jessica thought they would be closer than ever in middle school, but they are growing apart instead.

In Teacher’s Pet, the focus is on their shared ballet classes. Jessica dresses to impress the first day, only to discover that their strict teacher Madame André is not a fan of her style. It is on that day that Jessica decides the teacher hates her. On the other hand, Elizabeth has no problem with the teacher, who actually really likes her. Jessica—who believes she is the best ballet dancer in the class—decides that Madame André picks favorites and that Elizabeth is a teacher’s pet. So when Elizabeth gets the solo for the rehearsal, Jessica is pretty jealous. Can the sisters overcome their differences? (Spoiler: The answer is predictably yes, but in a way that I was not too pleased with.)

Marshmallow is reading Sweet Valley Twins: The Graphic Novel (Best Friends and Teacher’s Pet) by Nicole Andelfinger and Claudia Aguirre. — Marshmallow is reading *Sweet Valley Twins: The Graphic Novel* (Best Friends and Teacher’s Pet) by Nicole Andelfinger and Claudia Aguirre.

Marshmallow’s Review: I think these books are really good, especially for young girls in middle school who are noticing behavioral changes in themselves or others. This book is a graphic novel and has two of the Sweet Valley Twins books in one. The Sweet Valley Twins books were originally written in 1986. I think it’s worth noting that there are no discussions about changing bodies in these books so the focus is more on how people’s personalities and interests change. That said, I was a little unhappy with the dynamic between Elizabeth and Jessica. I’ll preface this by saying I liked Elizabeth more due to her sweet, smart personality. I think the way Jessica changes is definitely normal and understandable too. But Jessica also changes in ways that are less excusable: she bullies other girls, pulls pranks on others, and is extremely self-centered. Jessica literally says she is the best dancer to her sister’s face—several times. I think this shows that she is a worse person, or at least doesn’t care so much about others. Yet, at the end of the second book (SPOILER), Jessica is the one given the solo lead role because Elizabeth fakes being injured. Why does Elizabeth give Jessica the role? Because Jessica complains about how she deserves it more and how she is better at ballet than everyone else until Elizabeth gives in and starts thinking she doesn’t deserve it either. I think it’s really good to have an accurate representation of sibling relationships in books, but I don’t like how the authors had the book end in a way that shows one of the sisters giving something they really wanted to the other just because the other one is jealous. I think that was a pretty messed-up ending and I don’t find that fair. I think Jessica definitely needs support, especially since she is so desperate to be viewed as popular and get validation. But the fact that she consistently bullies others and tears her sister down to get that is not okay. I think Jessica is portrayed too well in the book. So I definitely think this book is good to read for young girls. But I think parents and the readers should have a discussion about what a healthy relationship should be like, because Jessica’s behavior is not what should be normalized or idealized.

After I wrote the paragraphs above, I read this review of the second book in its original, which seems to imply that Jessica is clearly the better dancer and the teacher is really playing favorites and has poor judgment. That is not quite the impression one gets in the graphic novel version. Even if Jessica is more naturally inclined, Elizabeth is just as good though possibly with more instruction and practice. So to me, the teacher choosing one over the other does not seem like a big unfair thing. Jessica on the other hand does not handle things well and really comes across as a spoiled brat.

The graphic novel is otherwise a lot of fun to read. The colors and the characters’ depictions work really well. I did keep thinking back to all my favorite books by Raina Telgemeier, especially Drama. If you are up for a solid couple hours of fun reading about middle school blues, this book can be a good choice.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 92%.

Marshmallow rates Sweet Valley Twins: The Graphic Novel (Best Friends and Teacher’s Pet) by Nicole Andelfinger and Claudia Aguirre 92%. — Marshmallow rates *Sweet Valley Twins: The Graphic Novel* (Best Friends and Teacher’s Pet) by Nicole Andelfinger and Claudia Aguirre 92%.