ocean – BookBunnies

Caramel reviews Ingo by Helen Dunmore

As his last review before the book bunnies take off for the summer, Caramel chose Ingo by Helen Dunmore, originally published in 2005. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, as we are getting ready to take off for the summer, you chose to talk about a book about the ocean.

Caramel: Yes. Ingo is about the ocean, that is true. But it is also about a lot more.

S: Tell me.

C: It is about a girl named Sapphire. Her father “mysteriously vanishes into the waves off the Cornwall coast where her family has always lived.” At least that is what the back of the book says.

S: Hmm, I thought you read the book.

C: I did. I thought it would be quicker to use the book’s own summary.

S: I guess that makes sense. But so her father disappears into the waves, does that mean he goes off swimming and does not come back?

C: Yes, almost. He goes sailing and does not come back. But before he disappears, he tells Sapphire about these people of the sea called the mer.

S: Like mermaids?

C: Yes, but they are called the mer, and they hate being called mermaids. They think the humans’ way of thinking about mermaids is silly.

S: That is interesting. I think there were some wild merpeople in one of the Harry Potter books.

C: Yeah I think you are right. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, there were merpeople too. But those were kind of vicious and almost evil. These mer are a lot less vicious and evil.

S: There were also some mer people in another book, one that you read, I think?

C: Oh yes. There were some mer people and even some selkies in The Menagerie: Krakens and Lies! Those books were cool!

Caramel is reading Ingo by Helen Dunmore. — Caramel is reading *Ingo* by Helen Dunmore.

S: So does Sapphire meet the mer?

C: Yes. She goes looking for her dad and meets some mer. Before that, her brother Conor disappears for hours and does not remember what happened, or so he claims. It turns out that he was meeting with the mer. Conor and Sapphire make friends with two mer children, Faro and Elvira, who help them when some people get into trouble.

S: So the book is about Sapphire discovering the world of the mer and maybe finding her dad?

C: Well, she does not find her dad in this book. Apparently there are four other books after this one, and maybe she will find him, but in this book, she does learn about the mer and their world. It is called Ingo.

S: Oh, that is why the book is titled Ingo!

C: Yup. Ingo is the name of the underwater world that the mer live in.

S: That is interesting Caramel. So did you enjoy this book?

C: Yes. I even want to read the next four books.

S: I see. That is a good sign.

C: Yep, I’d say so!

S: Okay, so would you recommend this book to other young bunnies?

C: Yes! It is fun to imagine other worlds under the sea!

S: Cool! Okay, maybe this is a good time to wrap up this review, which is your last one before our summer break. What would you like to tell our readers Caramel?

C: Have a great summer and stay tuned for more book bunny reviews! We will be back in August with new books!

Caramel enjoyed reading Ingo by Helen Dunmore and recommends it to all little bunnies looking for an intriguing summer read. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Ingo* by Helen Dunmore and recommends it to all little bunnies looking for an intriguing summer read.

Marshmallow reviews Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan

Marshmallow has reviewed several book series by Rick Riordan for the book bunnies blog. Today she talks about a stand-alone book by Riordan, Daughter of the Deep, published first in 2021. Sprinkles was curious about the book, too, so she is asking questions and taking notes.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow let us start with your one-to-two sentences overview of the book.

Marshmallow: If you like to read books about family, friends, and ocean life, or if you have enjoyed books by Rick Riordan before, then this might be the book for you.

S: Well, that is a good start. Tell me a bit about the story.

M: There is this girl named Ana Dakkar, and she is wrapping up her second year at a special high school intended for young people who want to go into professions involving the ocean. The school is named Harding-Pencroft Academy, and honestly it sounds like an awesome place to be.

S: How so?

M: It is a fancy private school, but more importantly, the classes are all oriented towards the ocean. The students are split into four houses, a bit like the four houses in Hogwarts…

S: Well, I can see how that sounds similar, but a lot of boarding schools have such things.

M: In any case, the school is not like Hogwarts at all in any other way. For example, it is in Southern California. And they have climbing walls and cinnamon rolls and other fancy things, like a lot of exciting classes about the sea. And they also study things like cryptography, and navigation, and communication, and defense.

S: So okay, I see. HP is kind of like a naval academy, but at the high-school level. Let us get back to the story now. What is going on in the book?

M: On the last Friday of her second year at her school, Ana and her classmates go on a field trip, and they are supposed to face a challenge or something. But then the school blows up!

S: Wait, what??

M: Yes, everyone else in the school is gone, all at once. And Ana’s brother, who was a senior at Harding-Pencroft, was there, too. So Ana is understandably heartbroken. And Ana does not have her parents anymore, so she feels totally lost. Their teacher, who was coming along to the field trip with them, tells the class that their school was attacked by a rival school.

S: Wow, that is some serious rivalry.

M: Yes. It is called the Land Institute, and they are pretty serious. They are also a marine biology oriented school. But HP is more research-oriented, and the Land Institute is more militaristic. Anyways, from here on, it is open war with the Land Institute, and it turns out that along the way Ana learns a bit about her own family history.

S: Hmm. That is kind of cryptic.

M: I don’t want to spoil it too much. Okay, but if the readers have read Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and some of his other books, then they have a lot of fun revelations to look forward to.

S: Hmm. I’m getting quite curious. And I have some ideas…

M: Maybe you should read the book then.

S: I think I will.

Marshmallow is reading Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan. — Marshmallow is reading *Daughter of the Deep* by Rick Riordan.

S: Okay, so how did it feel like reading another book by Rick Riordan?

M: I thought it would be about mythology again, and I was kind of surprised that it was not. It was a pleasant surprise. It is a really well-written book.

S: Tell me more about how it is written.

M: Well, the story is all told in first person through the voice of Ana herself. And as you might recall from my reviews of the Percy Jackson books, Riordan is really great at channeling the thoughts and voice of his characters.

S: Is Ana funny?

M: Not as funny as Percy, but she felt like a real person, and I really liked her. Though I was kind of confused about how she could be so empathetic towards the sentient submarine that killed–

S: Wait, don’t you think that is kind of a big spoiler??? And a sentient submarine! Wow!

M: Yes, it is a really interesting book! You just have to read it Sprinkles.

S: I am starting to think that Caramel might like it, too, with his love of robots…

M: We did watch the movie version of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea together. So I agree, he might like this book, too.

S: Okay, then, but I will have to read it first.

M: Sure.

S: So let us wrap up this review then. What would be your rating, Marshmallow?

M: I’d rate it 100%.

S: Sounds good. And what do you want to tell our readers?

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

Marshmallow rates Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Daughter of the Deep* by Rick Riordan 100%.

Caramel reviews Sea Bunnies by Kelly Hargrave

Caramel loves books with facts. He also loves soft squishy toys. So he could not help but get exceptionally excited when he visited the book fair in his school and he saw Sea Bunnies, a 2021 book by Kelly Hargrave. The book was colorful and full of interesting facts, and on top of all that goodness, it came with a new squishy friend! So of course today Caramel is talking about Sea Bunnies. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, you saw this book and had to read it!

Caramel: Yes! Can you imagine me passing by a book about our distant relatives? They are called sea bunnies, so they must be related to us somehow, right?

S: Hmm, i’m not so sure. Guinea pigs are not really related to pigs. So what are these sea bunnies? Are they mammals like regular bunnies are?

C: Well, not really. They are sea slugs.

S: Hmm, so they are not really bunnies after all.

C: No, but they have antennas that look like bunny ears, so people call them sea bunnies. And they are cute! Though maybe not as cute as most bunnies. Still they can be our friends.

S: Especially your new squishy friend, right?

C: Yes! My squishy friend is very cute. He might actually be cuter than the real sea bunnies, but that’s alright I think.

Caramel and his new squishy friend are reading Sea Bunnies by Kelly Hargrave. — Caramel and his new squishy friend are reading *Sea Bunnies* by Kelly Hargrave.

S: So let us get back to the book. Tell us a bit about it please.

C: The book has fifty pages. On each two-page spread, you learn about a new type of sea slug or sea bunny. There are about thirty different types they talk about. For example, there is one they call a Ninja Sea Slug. Then there is a sea angel. There is a leaf sheep. And so on.

S: So they all have interesting names!

C: Yes, in the beginning the author says “each sea slug featured in this book has been given an awesome nickname.” And they are awesome nicknames!

S: I agree. They are all pretty imaginative and evocative nanes.

C: Those would be some words I could use to describe the book!

S: I guess so. But I’d also assume you would want to say “colorful” and “fact-full”, right?

C: Yes! The book is very colorful and full of facts!

S: Any facts that were new for you?

C: Of course! I didn’t even know that there was an animal called a sea bunny, to start with. So yes.

S: True, the name was new, but what else did you learn about these creatures?

C: They have tentacles, and some have wing-like extensions. Some glow in the dark. Some are pink and have toxins. They can be all sorts of colors. There are over two thousand different types of sea slugs!

S: Those are all very interesting facts Caramel! I’m glad you read this book.

C: Me, too! And I’m glad I have a new squishy friend!

S: I know. Okay, this is probably a good time to wrap up the review so you can continue to play with him. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny adventures!

Caramel and his new squishy friend strongly recommend reading Sea Bunnies by Kelly Hargrave and learning more about these amazing creatures. And of course who doesn't want another squishy friend? — Caramel and his new squishy friend strongly recommend reading *Sea Bunnies* by Kelly Hargrave and learning more about these amazing creatures. And of course who doesn’t want another squishy friend?

Caramel reviews The Aquanaut by Dan Santat

Caramel loves graphic novels and he loves all books by Dan Santat. So when he heard about The Aquanaut, the new (2022) graphic novel by Dan Santat, he knew he had to read and review it as soon as possible for the book bunnies blog. This is that review. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: Please tell us about this book Caramel.

Caramel: The book starts with a ship sinking, and someone’s brother dies. And then four sea animals convert the man’s diving suit into a walking suit so they can move on land. They go on land with this suit to find Aqualand, the dead man’s marine reserve.

S: That is an interesting premise for a story. What are the four animals?

C: There is a dumbo octopus, who is the engineer, a hermit crab, a blanket octopus, and a Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle.

S: I had never heard of these animals before, except hermit crabs, who I know take over shells abandoned by other animals. So in some sense taking over a diving suit is perfectly appropriate for a hermit crab. But I had never heard of a blanket octopus.

C: Apparently the males are as big as a walnut but the females can get as large as six feet!

S: That is very interesting!

C: But I had heard of the dumbo octopus before, too.

S: That is neat. You do know a lot about ocean animals! You have read all the Narwhal and Jelly books, and reviewed The Magnificent Book of Ocean Creatures by Val Walerczuk and Tom Jackson for the blog too.

C: Yes. But I learned from this book that Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles are the rarest and most endangered sea turtles in the world. And the others think the ocean is getting a little too dangerous so they think Aqualand should be safer.

S: How do they learn about Aqualand?

C: They find the notebook of the man who died. His name is Michael and he wrote about Aqualand in his notebook.

Caramel is reading The Aquanaut by Dan Santat. — Caramel is reading *The Aquanaut* by Dan Santat.

S: So Aqualand is a marine life reserve, right?

C: Michael and his brother Paul founded it to be a reserve, and Michael’s daughter Sophia still thinks it is one, but when the aquanaut crew, that is the four animals using the diving suit, come to Aqualand, they find out that it is now just an amusement park. And the animals there are not happy. So they set free an orca and …

S: Hmm, that reminded me a lot of the FunJungle books Marshmallow reviewed. In particular, Belly Up.

C: I can see that! Belly Up was also in an amusement park, but it was supposed to be a zoo where the animals would live their lives as naturally as possible.

S: So in The Aquanaut, the animals that steer the diving suit meet Michael’s daughter Sophia, right?

C: Yes. And both Sophia and Paul help the four animals escape and get back to the ocean.

S: That sounds like a sweet story Caramel.

C: Yes definitely. Can we put here the video that Dan Santat recorded for the book?

S: Yes, sure. Here it is.

The Aquanaut by Dan Santat – YouTube video by Scholastic, the publisher.

S: So what would your three words be to describe this book?

C: Colorful, exciting, and sweet. You said that word and I think it works for the book, too.

S: Sounds good to me. So do you think Marshmallow would like this book?

C: Yes, I think so. She loved the FunJungle books and she likes graphic novels too. I think actually that any bunny who likes the ocean and who likes the environment would like this book.

S: That is a solid endorsement Caramel. So what do you want to tell our readers as we wrap up this review?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading The Aquanaut by Dan Santat and recommends it to any bunny who loves graphic novels, the ocean, and other living creatures. — Caramel loved reading *The Aquanaut* by Dan Santat and recommends it to any bunny who loves graphic novels, the ocean, and other living creatures.