Caramel reviews The Future Book by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris

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.
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.
Caramel is reading The Future Book by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris.

S: Honestly, this book reminded me a bit of The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak.

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.
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.

Marshmallow reviews Everything Here is Mine by Nicole Hollander

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 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 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%.
Marshmallow rates Everything Here is Mine: An Unhelpful Guide to Cat Behavior by Nicole Hollander 100%.

Caramel reviews The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Today Caramel is talking to Sprinkles about The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the 1979 book by Douglas Adams that originated from a 1978 radio show and then went on to evolve into a whole “comedy science fiction franchise”, according to Wikipedia.

Caramel reviews The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
Caramel reviews The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Sprinkles: So we are talking about The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy today. I am excited! I had really enjoyed reading this book myself.

Caramel: Yup, this book was surely a really good read. I had a lot of fun reading it.

S: Yay! So maybe we can start with a brief introduction to the story for anyone reading our blog who might not know about it. 

C: Sure. It is a scifi book that is infused with a lot of comedy.

S: It is funny, I agree. Tell us more.

C: This book tells the story of a guy named Arthur Dent and another one named Ford Perfect.

S: It is actually Prefect, as in Ford Prefect, the car

C: Yes, I knew that but somehow forgot. Yes, he is actually named that because he came to Earth fifteen years before the start of this story, maybe around when the car came out, you see Ford Prefect is an alien from Betelgeuse Seven. 

S: Yes, apparently the author at some point said that Ford “had simply mistaken the dominant life form on Earth” (again according to Wikipedia). 

C: Yes, when you look at it from outer space, apparently, humans don’t look like the dominant species on Earth. So Ford Prefect thought he should blend in and  gave himself the name of a common car. But actually humans are really not the dominant species on Earth, according to The Hitchhiker’s Guide. It is the mice who are the smartest species on our planet. 

S: That is funny! I mean, we have read many books about clever mice, remember Poppy and Ragweed

C: Yes, then there is Ralph and Babymouse. So to me it sounds reasonable!  

S: But this book is not really about mice, is it? 

C: No, it is about the adventures of Arthur and Ford. So Ford comes to Earth to work on a guide book, and then is stuck. At the time when the book starts, Ford knows that the planet is going to be destroyed soon and wants to save Arthur and he tries to teach him about life in the universe. He tells him about this amazing guide book, The Hitchhiker’s Guide, that anyone who is going out traveling in space should have. 

S: So the book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is about a book called The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

C: Kind of, but it is more about Ford and Arthur. 

S: So what happens? Do they leave the Earth together? And why on earth is the Earth going to be destroyed?

C: Because the planet is in the way of an intergalactic highway that some people want to build.

S: Ouch! That’s rough! Okay, so Earth cannot appeal and they have to leave, right? What do they do? Does the Earth really get destroyed in the book?

C: Yes, the entire planet is destroyed and turned to ash. 

S: You said this was a funny book. That sounds pretty terrible. 

C: Yes, but you know it is fiction when you are reading it. And the book is funny! Really funny. And they do not go into the details of the destruction at all really; that is almost an excuse to get Ford and Arthur traveling together.

S: And also telling us that our planet is one of many and maybe we should not be so full of ourselves if they can just demolish it to make a highway, like we do not really matter in the grand scheme of things. 

C: When you say it like that, it maybe does not sound so funny, but it is really funny Sprinkles. 

S: I know Caramel, and actually I like being reminded that we should not be too full of ourselves. Our lives matter, what we do matters, but we are not at the center of the universe. It is a small world after all but it is inside a very big universe.

Caramel is reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
Caramel is reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

S: Anyways back to the book. So what happens in the end? You know there are many more books in the series?

C: They get picked up on accident by an alien ship, and are then thrown out of the ship, and then are picked up by another ship. Apparently Arthur is the only human remaining from Earth, and it is kind of funny because he is just a normal guy. Anyways, along the way a lot of hilarious things happen and we learn from Ford about the Guide and all sorts of weird facts from it. 

S: Oooh, you like facts! But of course these are probably fictional facts, right? Can you tell me a couple?

C: Yep, they are fictional but also really fun. One is about the Babel fish which feeds off of brain waves and can translate any language.

S: Ooh, cool, like the universal translator in Star Trek or in Doctor Who, but it is a fish! Awesome! One more?

C: There is a thing called the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, which is a cocktail that contains Ol’ Janx Spirit, a particularly vicious alcoholic drink, and is so strong that you will need to recuperate in a hospital. 

S: That sounds bad. Okay, so maybe it is time to wrap up this review. Overall it seems like this book kept you entertained, right? Do you want to read the next book in the series? It is called The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. I think there are five more books in total. 

C: Sure, why not?

S: Alright, we will see if we can get you a copy. Okay, Caramel, what would you like to tell our readers as we wrap up this review?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and is keen to read more from this series.
Caramel enjoyed reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and is keen to read more from this series.

Marshmallow reviews How to Speak Emoji by Fred Benenson

Today Marshmallow wanted to talk about a little book on emoji originally published in 2015: How to Speak Emoji by Fred Benenson.

Marshmallow reviews How to Speak Emoji by Fred Benenson.
Marshmallow reviews How to Speak Emoji by Fred Benenson.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like funny books about how to do something or books about popular culture, then this might be the book for you. 

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): In this book, Fred Benenson creates a useful glossary that you can use to navigate text conversations using emojis. Though this book is nonfiction, and is meant to be informative, some of the emoji strands have humorous meanings.

In the first part of the book, there is a list of the meanings of singular, specific emojis. These can get a bit subjective. For example, the author writes that the 💅 emoji means “Ooh, fancy!” And the 🆗 emoji means “grudging approval”.

After the initial, brief glossary, there is an emoji phrase book. The phrases in this vary by section. There is one section for pickup lines (which get pretty, um, weird 🫤), a section for food and drink 🍔, a section for insults, and many more (including but not limited to technology, travel, medical/emergency, weather, the Twelve Days of Christmas, etc ♾️). Idioms like “an elephant never forgets” become 🐘🚫💭 and “above and beyond” becomes 👆➕🔭🌌 (this is in the idioms section). These sections are all very entertaining, and it is interesting to see how the author translates standard phrases and sayings into emojis. 

Marshmallow is reading How to Speak Emoji by Fred Benenson.
Marshmallow is reading How to Speak Emoji by Fred Benenson.

Marshmallow’s Review: You might be wondering, “Marshmallow 🤨🧐🤔 why would I want a book about the meaning of emojis when I can just google them?” My response to that question is that this book is also funny and teaches you how to communicate with emojis by themselves, which, admittedly, is not necessarily an essential skill but is definitely fun. And how can you not love a book which has the smiling poop emoji on its cover? I was a little sad to see that my favorite melting 🫠 emoji was not mentioned. However, it makes total sense because that is a new, quite recent (2023) addition to the vast army of emojis and only came out after this book was written (2015).

As a bunny who enjoys using emojis for the sake of using emojis, I liked this book a lot. Sometimes I find emojis that I don’t understand the meaning of, like this one: 🙃. And it is fun to learn how to use emojis to make phrases, and decoding them can be a fun game with friends and family. However, I would say that some of the content in this book is not appropriate for young bunnies, let us say, under the age of thirteen. Some of the phrases can be overly sexual. I just skimmed over those to get to the ones that were more amusing in my opinion. Otherwise however, this would be a very fun book for all readers. The sheer number of emojis and their complex meaning is fascinating 🤩 and this book does a good job explaining them.

Overall, this is a cute guide to using emojis 🥰 and I will take my knowledge gained from this to write this phrase: ⤵️📻➕😎📚🐰🐰🐰📋. (If you want, you can put your guess of what it means in the comments below!)

Marshmallow’s Rating: 98%

Marshmallow rates How to Speak Emoji by Fred Benenson 98%.
Marshmallow rates How to Speak Emoji by Fred Benenson 98%.