Both Caramel and Marshmallow loved reading B.J. Novak’s The Book With No Pictures; Caramel even reviewed it way back in 2019. Today Caramel reviews what he calls the little baby brother of that very same book: The Little Book With No Pictures, which just came out yesterday. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.
Caramel reviews The Little Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak.
Sprinkles: So Caramel, today we have a board book for our readers!
Caramel: Yes! This is the little baby brother of a book we reviewed before: The Book With No Pictures.
S: I remember that one! It was hilarious!
C: Yes, but a tiny correction: having you read it out loud to me was hilarious!
S: That’s true, that book is kind of like a setup for parents: it makes them say really ridiculous things.
C: But rightfully so. Adults are sometimes too serious. That book forces them to not take themselves so seriously.
S: Yes, you are definitely correct. But okay, let us come back to this book.
C: Sure. As I said, this is the little baby brother of the other book. It is meant for younger bunnies, I think. For starters, it is a board book like you said. So a really little bunny can hold it in their paws and maybe even nibble on it.
S: In fact the book tells them to do that, no?
C: Kind of. It says, “EAT the book, yum yum yum. EAT the book?!!, we do not eat books.”
Caramel is reading The Little Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak.
S: I see. It sounds like a funny book, like the other one.
C: It is a funny book! But it is a lot cuter than the other one. I mean, the other one keeps getting the parent who is reading the book into trouble by making them say silly things like robot monkey and boo boo butt and so on. It is really funny. But this one is only saying things like, now tickle or give a kiss or something like that. That is why it is probably more appropriate for babies.
S: Yeah, I can see that.
C: So it does have many signs of being a book for younger bunnies. And I am getting to be a bigger bunny every day. So I do not really read board books or even too many picture books anymore. But it was still fun to read this book.
S: I thought you might appreciate it. I know how much you enjoyed the original book.
C: Yeah I did. And this was fun too. So yes, it was a good choice.
S: And it can be a good choice for parents of young bunnies who are looking for a fun book for their little ones. There are no pictures, like it says in the title, but there are a lot of colors used in the book, and the words are sometimes small and sometimes large, so it is visually still interesting. And reading together and trying to do the things it says to do could be a lot of fun with a little one.
C: Yeah, it tells you to shake your pants for example.
S: Yeah, it does. Okay, Caramel, maybe this is a good time to wrap up this review. What do you think?
C: I think it is a good idea. I have school tomorrow.
S: Okay, then. Let’s wrap up. What do you want to tell our readers?
C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!
Caramel loved reading The Little Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak and recommends it to all parents of little bunnies: he promises it will be so much fun to read it with their little ones.
The book bunnies are back! Today in her first review after summer break, Marshmallow is writing about Undercover Angel by Dyan Sheldon, a book published originally in 2000. The book bunnies first discovered a translation of the book and had to dig up the English original, but it was worth it!
Marshmallow reviews Undercover Angel by Dyan Sheldon.
Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like reading books about the environment or kids with a surprisingly good sense of humor, then this is the book for you!
Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Elmo Blue is not very pleased with his family – and for reasons that go beyond his unfortunate name (his words, not mine). His mother specifically is the main issue; Grace Blue is one of the leading members of the Keep Our Planet Green group in Campton, a small town in England. She and the other Greeners (as Elmo calls them) do horrifically embarrassing things, at least in his perspective. For example, she drives a milk float instead of a car.
Meanwhile, the Blues’ fancy neighbors Mr. and Ms. Bamber drive around in a Porsche all day. Mr. Bamber is a wealthy landowner and developer who is essentially his mother’s arch nemesis. He plans on converting a large swathe of beautiful land in the neighborhood into a resort / golf course. As an environmentalist who had handcuffed herself to stop bulldozers from destroying nature, Grace views her neighbors as disgusting devils; in Elmo’s eyes, they are admirable. At least their house is clean, tidy, and orderly in his eyes. Naively, he believes that Mr. Bamber is an honorable businessman who is far more respectable than his own messy family.
So, in summary, Elmo couldn’t really care less about his mother’s petition problems and her struggle to get the city council to stop Mr. Bamber’s development plans. After all, she barely registers that he wants attention after falling off the roof. For context, he fell off while trying to spy on the Bambers’ new adopted son (who Elmo views as a perfect candidate for a new best friend). Miraculously, he isn’t a teensy bit hurt. Grace is too busy to pay attention though.
After returning to his room, Elmo finds the new adopted child sitting at his desk. The child turns out to be a very tall, intimidating girl named Kuba who claims to be an angel. She does have a faint blue halo but Elmo refuses to buy unscientifically-backed claims. But the evidence piles up eventually. Kuba is an undercover angel in Campton, come to help Grace and the Greeners stop Mr. Bamber. The only catch is that she is not allowed to be involved in anything, meaning Elmo has to do something. He doesn’t want to, but there’s not much you can do when an undercover angel tells you to save the environment.
Marshmallow is reading Undercover Angel by Dyan Sheldon.
Marshmallow’s Review:Undercover Angel is a very niche-like book but it is also extremely funny. I was very surprised by how witty this book is. Elmo is a twelve year old but the story is still amusing if you are older. His journey from aspiring Warren Buffet to cautious environmental activist is fascinating to watch, even if his transformation is not complete at the end of the book. It does end with hints that the story continues (and apparently there is a second book with Elmo and Kuba in it), but it is still a satisfying ending.
Undercover Angel is very quick to read – only around 137 pages with large font – and very entertaining so it’s a great choice for kids or teenagers who are interested in the environment but still looking for something lighthearted. Most books about environmental issues are a lot heavier so this is a great option to introduce those larger concepts to younger audiences. I think this would be particularly perfect for elementary school students in a classroom or bedtime setting.
Undercover Angel is written in British English so some of the words may require a quick search; context also matters (for example, mentions to the IRA and SAS may be unfamiliar for bunnies of different nationalities). But these side references are not at all substantial. They are occasional and raise brief questions you may or may not investigate into (reading books that make you have to look something up is a bit more work but is more rewarding because you receive more than just a narrative; you also learn little pieces of information you wouldn’t have otherwise).
The message overall is clearly globally relevant. While Undercover Angel is set in a small town surrounded by woods and lakes, the message of environmental protection applies to all people – whether nature looks the same or strikingly different in your community. I really liked how this book also focused on environmental action within a local circle. I truly enjoy books that look at larger scale action, but it is refreshing to see what environmentalism can look like in a sense you can directly, easily imagine.
While there are some references to a God, it is not really specified which God it is and the topic of religion is not really mentioned. Yet, one of the main characters being an angel adds a different dimension to the narrative that was interesting to me. Generally, books about environmental protection are more focused on nature itself, scientific fact, and tangible action. Much of this book is focused on the people wreaking havoc, the families trying to stop it, and the strange and mystical ways their undercover angel directs action.
I was a bit surprised that very little of the book focused on time spent in nature itself. This is a result, I suppose, of the main character’s resistance to environmentalism as a whole. It is interesting to see how even reluctant Elmo begins to recognize the importance of environmental protection at the end. As such, Undercover Angel can be a great story for parents or teachers looking to introduce or explore environmentalism with their children. It definitely has some examples of the stereotypical environmentalist (the mom is basically a walking stereotype), but, with thought, care, and an open mind, this book is the perfect book to make classroom and bedtime reading more eco-friendly!
Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.
Marshmallow rates Undercover Angel by Dyan Sheldon 100%.
Today Caramel is reviewing a brand new picture book: The Future Book written by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Shawn Harris, and published in 2026. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.
Caramel reviews The Future Book by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris.
Sprinkles: So Caramel, we are talking about a brand new picture book today, right?
Caramel: Yep. It is called The Future Book and it comes from the future!
S: What does that mean?
C: I don’t exactly know. But it claims that it knows what is going to happen in the future. And a bunch of weird stuff will happen apparently.
S: Okay, that sounds weird.
C: It is. But apparently the future will be pretty weird. For example people will put a fish on people’s heads instead of thanking them. And bananas will b e called apples and there will not be any more apples left so they won’t be called anything.
S: Oh, that would be sad. You love apples!
C: Yeah, I really like apples. So I hope the book is wrong and there will always be apples.
S: But if bananas will be the new apples, there will still be apples!
C: Sure, I guess you could say that. But I would still miss the round juicy red fruits…
S: I know, right? Anyways, so the book is basically saying a bunch of really wacky things will happen in the future, right?
C: Yeah, it is quite funny.
S: I did read it once too, and you are right it is quite funny. In a very absurd way.
Caramel is reading The Future Book by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris.
C: I can see what you mean. That book is also pretty wacky. And it is a lot of fun to read out loud. Or at least to have your adult read it out loud to you so they have to say all kinds of silly things.
S: Yes! How about this one? Do you think it could be fun to read out loud?
C: Sure. It could be more fun to be read to though. I always like it when you read to me. And this could be fun if you read it to me.
S: Okay, maybe we should read it together after we are done with this review.
C: I could like that.
S: Okay, what else can you tell me about the book?
C: It is very colorful. And the drawings look like they were done by water coloring or something. I mean, there are not many black lines that make the boundaries of things. And there are a lot of speech bubbles. A lot of the book is people speaking, like how people in the future will speak, apparently. It is quite silly.
S: But in a fun way?
C: Yes, definitely. Silly in a fun way. And the sleeve of the book is also covered with silly writing which is supposed to be like what a future supermarket brochure would be like, using all the weird future words!
S: Yeah, you are right. That is very funny too. Okay, so do you think this is a reasonable time to wrap up this review?
C: Sure, why not? And you said you would read the book out loud to me after we’re done.
S: Yes, I will.
C: Okay, so let us wrap things up.
S: Okay, so what do you want to tell our readers Caramel?
C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!
Caramel enjoyed reading The Future Book by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris and is curious to see if the future will really turn out so wacky.
Today Marshmallow reviews Everything Here is Mine: An Unhelpful Guide to Cat Behavior. Originally published in 1992, this is a book of comic strips by the amazing cartoonist Nicole Hollander, whose daily comic strip Sylvia was enjoyed by many; she passed away in April 2026.
Marshmallow reviews Everything Here is Mine: An Unhelpful Guide to Cat Behavior by Nicole Hollander.
Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like cats and / or cartoons, then this is the book for you!
Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Cats are from space. Specifically, according to Hollander, they are from the planet Hsif. Originally, they arrived during the time of the pyramids and began investigating Earth. Unfortunately, due to a civil war on their home planet, the main cat force had to leave behind several individuals. Budget cats later on prevented return missions so some of the cats were left stranded on our world. This is why cats spit up hairballs; it is an S.O.S. signal. This is merely the beginning of numerous new revelations and lessons about the cat species that you can find in Nicole Hollander’s Everything Here is Mine: An Unhelpful Guide to Cat Behavior.
As you can tell from the title, this book does honestly show how cats dominate their households. In sections labeled by related topics, Hollander gives us insight into what cats like and do not like. The sections are as follows: Cats in Space; Give Me That Wet Food, Baby; Fly Me to the Moon; Cats Who Dress Up; Don’t Lick That Cat; Oh, De Toilette; Slow Dancing With Your Cat; In the Heat of the Night; Vetnophobia; Cats and the Law; After You’re Gone; and more. In each, there are plenty of cartoons like the “Dear Cat Lady,” and “Misconceptions About Cats” columns. These provide some extra humor in what is already a very entertaining book!
Marshmallow is reading Everything Here is Mine: An Unhelpful Guide to Cat Behavior by Nicole Hollander.
Marshmallow’s Review: I thought Everything Here is Mine: An Unhelpful Guide to Cat Behavior was a very funny book. I do not know any cats very well myself, but this definitely furthers a lot of general cultural stereotypes for cats. On the back of the book we meet a cat saying “We rule, but we’re fair…unless you serve us the wrong kind of food.” For many cat owners (or rather cat servants), this might strike a familiar chord. The cartoons are definitely amusing to any and all animals and animal lovers though. I particularly liked the “Heartbreaking Complaints of Cats” section that showed up every now and then. In those, a cat describes its issues to a disembodied voice outside of the panel–which I presume is meant to represent a therapist.
Overall, Everything Here is Mine: An Unhelpful Guide to Cat Behavior is a very fun book that is relatively lighthearted and light to read. It is not very long (less than 140 pages) and has plenty of funny pictures. All bunnies of all ages would enjoy this book, so I would highly recommend reading it if you have the time! It will make you smile even if you might not (yet) be a cat person.
Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.
Marshmallow rates Everything Here is Mine: An Unhelpful Guide to Cat Behavior by Nicole Hollander 100%.
