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A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Picture Books (2018)100% of Last Week Tonight 's proceeds will be donated to The Trevor Project and AIDS United.
HBO's Emmy-winning Last Week Tonight with John Oliver presents a children's picture book about a Very Special boy bunny who falls in love with another boy bunny.
Meet Marlon Bundo, a lonely bunny who lives with his Grampa, Mike Pence - the Vice President of the United States. But on this Very Special Day, Marlon's life is about to change forever...
With its message of tolerance and advocacy, this charming children's book explores issues of same sex marriage and democracy. Sweet, funny, and beautifully illustrated, this book is dedicated to every bunny who has ever felt different.
HBO's Emmy-winning Last Week Tonight with John Oliver presents a children's picture book about a Very Special boy bunny who falls in love with another boy bunny.
Meet Marlon Bundo, a lonely bunny who lives with his Grampa, Mike Pence - the Vice President of the United States. But on this Very Special Day, Marlon's life is about to change forever...
With its message of tolerance and advocacy, this charming children's book explores issues of same sex marriage and democracy. Sweet, funny, and beautifully illustrated, this book is dedicated to every bunny who has ever felt different.
35 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 18, 2018
About the author
Jill Twiss
13 books74 followersJill Twiss is the author of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver Presents: A Day In The Life of Marlon Bundo, a New York Times #1 Bestseller. She is also a comedy writer who won multiple Emmys, WGA Awards, and Peabody Awards for her work as a staff writer on HBO’s "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver".
In her not-so-spare time, Jill writes sentences for the Scripps National Spelling Bee on ESPN and is working on a play about the women of the Seneca Falls Convention. She would very much like to own a pet penguin and name him Tater Tot.
In her not-so-spare time, Jill writes sentences for the Scripps National Spelling Bee on ESPN and is working on a play about the women of the Seneca Falls Convention. She would very much like to own a pet penguin and name him Tater Tot.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,411 reviews
March 23, 2018
If you don't know about this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs2Rl...
Basically, two boy bunnies fall in love and get married in this beautiful book about same-sex marriage, democracy, and the importance of voting. There's a nasty stink bug causing some trouble, but the moral of the story is that, even though bad stinky bugs can get into office, we can also vote them out again!
100% of the proceeds are being donated to The Trevor Project and AIDS United.
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Basically, two boy bunnies fall in love and get married in this beautiful book about same-sex marriage, democracy, and the importance of voting. There's a nasty stink bug causing some trouble, but the moral of the story is that, even though bad stinky bugs can get into office, we can also vote them out again!
100% of the proceeds are being donated to The Trevor Project and AIDS United.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube
March 23, 2018
If you are going to read (or listen to in the bath) just one book about gay bunnies at the Naval Observatory, read this one. When I finish crying in my bath, I might tell you why.
*****
So here are a couple reasons why, now dry, as promised:
1. Love is love.
2. Friendship protects us.
3. There are bad dudes in power.
4. We can vote them out of power.
5. It is fun to hijack, ironically, the Pence's rabbit for a worthwhile LGBTQ cause.
6. I just found out that the author (Jill Twiss not Marlon Bundo) knows my brother.
7. Given the recent revelations about Marlon Brando and Richard Pryor, the Universe seems to be lacing up its shoes. It all seems to be coming together. Shit's getting real. Perhaps, we are really near the Omega Point.
March 19, 2018
Subversive in the best way
As the mother of a gay son who remembers the discrimination he suffered in his youth, I am happy this charming book is available now. If, through my purchase, I am also contributing support for gay rights while competing with the sales of that other book, I am even happier. Love is something to celebrate, not demonize.
As the mother of a gay son who remembers the discrimination he suffered in his youth, I am happy this charming book is available now. If, through my purchase, I am also contributing support for gay rights while competing with the sales of that other book, I am even happier. Love is something to celebrate, not demonize.
March 22, 2018
A sweet little story about bunnies falling in love and the importance of voting, all in one.
I would have passed, because I suspected it would be more of a publicity stunt than story, but I couldn't resist the audio cast: Jim Parsons (Big Bang Theory) as Marlon Bundo the bunny; Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family) as Wesley the bunny; John Lithgow (Third Rock from the Sun) as Stinkbug, Jack McBayer (30 Rock); Ellie Kemper (The Office) as Dill Prickle the hedgehog; Jeffery Garlin (The Goldbergs) as Mr. Paws-The-Very-Good-Dog; and RuPaul.
It turns out, it was a cute little story, with a solid children's book feel. In the tradition of multi-generational appeal, it has veiled jokes for the older folks and solid messaging for the younger ones. For some reason, it cracks me up that one of the bugs is named Dennis.
I needn't have worried about the art--Oliver's piece has an animated excerpt of the story and the style is lovely, watercolor style shadings in a more traditional style. The one with the Stinkbug and his white toupee is effing priceless.
Proceeds go to the Trevor Project, which provides services to prevent suicide in young people struggling with sexual identity https://www.thetrevorproject.org/#sm.... and AIDS United https://www.aidsunited.org/
Listen to John Oliver talk about Pence and Bundo on his show (and the very frightening revelation that the Pence book promotion includes a Focus on the Family stop). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs2Rl...
I would have passed, because I suspected it would be more of a publicity stunt than story, but I couldn't resist the audio cast: Jim Parsons (Big Bang Theory) as Marlon Bundo the bunny; Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family) as Wesley the bunny; John Lithgow (Third Rock from the Sun) as Stinkbug, Jack McBayer (30 Rock); Ellie Kemper (The Office) as Dill Prickle the hedgehog; Jeffery Garlin (The Goldbergs) as Mr. Paws-The-Very-Good-Dog; and RuPaul.
It turns out, it was a cute little story, with a solid children's book feel. In the tradition of multi-generational appeal, it has veiled jokes for the older folks and solid messaging for the younger ones. For some reason, it cracks me up that one of the bugs is named Dennis.
I needn't have worried about the art--Oliver's piece has an animated excerpt of the story and the style is lovely, watercolor style shadings in a more traditional style. The one with the Stinkbug and his white toupee is effing priceless.
Proceeds go to the Trevor Project, which provides services to prevent suicide in young people struggling with sexual identity https://www.thetrevorproject.org/#sm.... and AIDS United https://www.aidsunited.org/
Listen to John Oliver talk about Pence and Bundo on his show (and the very frightening revelation that the Pence book promotion includes a Focus on the Family stop). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs2Rl...
June 15, 2018
I SHOULD NOT HAVE SQUEALED THIS LOUD AT A BOOK ABOUT BUNNIES BUT HERE WE ARE.
oh hey, in case you haven't heard, John Oliver trolled Mike Pence's homophobia by writing a really important children's book featuring Mike Pence’s bunny falling in love with another boy bunny and then donated all the proceeds to the Trevor Project. US Politics is wild but sometimes good things occur. also I can’t believe the Trevor Project got a donation and I got to squeal for it what kind of symbiotic relationship
oh hey, in case you haven't heard, John Oliver trolled Mike Pence's homophobia by writing a really important children's book featuring Mike Pence’s bunny falling in love with another boy bunny and then donated all the proceeds to the Trevor Project. US Politics is wild but sometimes good things occur. also I can’t believe the Trevor Project got a donation and I got to squeal for it what kind of symbiotic relationship
July 21, 2020
When is a rabbit a troll?
There’s probably a very hot cross bunny at Number One Observatory Circle (the VPOTUS’s official residence, illustrated in this book), which is seasonally appropriate for the book’s release, even though hot cross buns are apparently not as widely eaten during Lent (the 40 days before Easter) in the US as the UK.
Hot cross buns also seem apt, given the bizarre and recurring importance of baking (or rather, refusing to do so) in the battle for LGBTQ+ rights, especially marriage equality.
The Pence Version
First (kind of), there was a picture book about the Pence family’s pet rabbit, Marlon, written by his daughter and illustrated by his wife: Marlon Bundo's Day in the Life of the Vice President. It’s meant to be a child-friendly introduction to the role of the Vice President. From the sample viewable on Amazon, the text is heavy-handed, dull doggerel (with rhyme and metre that don't really work), but the illustrations are pleasant enough.
The opening stanzas are:
If that doesn't get your preschooler begging you to read it again and again, I don't know what will!
The Gay Bunny Version
Hot on its heels (so hot, it was released a day before the Pence one) came this picture book, in which Bundo falls in love with another bunny. But here’s the point and the problem: both rabbits are male. It’s a genuine, inclusive children’s story almost as much as it is digging at Pence. There's a proper narrative arc: loneliness, love, an obstacle, and... a happy ending. The pictures are a delicate, colourful delight, and the text is short and sweet, largely eschewing overt politics, and without attempting rhyming couplets.
But it does skewer Pence. The character who tries to stop the wedding has a tidy mop of white hair, a collared shirt, and red tie. He is described thus:
"The Stink Bug was In Charge. He was Important. None of the other animals could quite work out why he was In Charge or how he was Important, but he was."
Ethics of Imitation
This book was heavily promoted by John Oliver on HBO’s Last Week Tonight and it raced up the bestseller charts, quickly eclipsing the Pence book.
One’s attitude to that is likely to be framed by one’s attitude to Pence, and especially his views about the evils of homosexuality. But it’s not quite that simple.
Money from the Pence book is going to one charity that provides art therapy to children with cancer and another that tackles human trafficking.
On the other hand, all the proceeds from this are going to an AIDS charity and the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization that offers support to young LGBT community members.
(I'll leave aside the difference between proceeds and profits, and the malleability of both.)
Personally, I find Pence’s active hatred of LGBTQ+ and other minorities hateful, and if his family produce a children’s book with a political message, even for charitable causes, I think it becomes a valid target for parody, satire, or whatever.
Anyway, Charlotte Pence says she doesn't mind, because both books are raising money. She has bought this book, and also thinks imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, which wasn't quite the intention, but never mind. (Citation here and here.)
Love is love (as long as it's consensual).
Pastiches and Parodies on GR
Jill Twiss, should be an active reviewer on GR. Or maybe she is a pseudonym of Manny Rayner’s. Or maybe Manny wrote this! Or maybe it's just a Dickensian pseudonym of John Oliver's. (Disappointingly, it seems she's a real individual in her own right, who writes for The Daily Show.)
This book is a more than a parody, but it is like many of Manny’s most creative “reviews” (see my reviews of his collections, What Pooh Might Have Said to Dante..., HERE, and If Research Were Romance..., HERE).
Related Reviews
First, I read and reviewed Fire and Fury as one of the early headline-grabbing books of Trump’s regime (my review HERE).
Then this, as it was refreshingly fun, and with a good, positive message (my review HERE).
Next up was The Faith of Donald J. Trump: A Spiritual Biography as it’s at the rotten heart of what I most despise (my review HERE).
And finally, Fear: Trump in the White House as it’s by Bob Woodward: a multi award winning journalist and biographer of nine presidents, red and blue (my review HERE).
And then, Ladybird did a satire, using illustrations from children's books, A Ladybird Book About Donald Trump (my review HERE).
Most recently, Mary L Trump's psychological analysis of her dysfunctional family, Too Much and Never Enough (my review HERE).
There’s probably a very hot cross bunny at Number One Observatory Circle (the VPOTUS’s official residence, illustrated in this book), which is seasonally appropriate for the book’s release, even though hot cross buns are apparently not as widely eaten during Lent (the 40 days before Easter) in the US as the UK.
Hot cross buns also seem apt, given the bizarre and recurring importance of baking (or rather, refusing to do so) in the battle for LGBTQ+ rights, especially marriage equality.
The Pence Version
First (kind of), there was a picture book about the Pence family’s pet rabbit, Marlon, written by his daughter and illustrated by his wife: Marlon Bundo's Day in the Life of the Vice President. It’s meant to be a child-friendly introduction to the role of the Vice President. From the sample viewable on Amazon, the text is heavy-handed, dull doggerel (with rhyme and metre that don't really work), but the illustrations are pleasant enough.
The opening stanzas are:
Allow me to introduce myself -
I am Marlon Bundo Pence.
I live with my family here
At the vice president's residence.
Some people call me BOTUS -
A name any bunny would love.
It means "Bunny of the United States" -
A job I am very proud of!
If that doesn't get your preschooler begging you to read it again and again, I don't know what will!
The Gay Bunny Version
Hot on its heels (so hot, it was released a day before the Pence one) came this picture book, in which Bundo falls in love with another bunny. But here’s the point and the problem: both rabbits are male. It’s a genuine, inclusive children’s story almost as much as it is digging at Pence. There's a proper narrative arc: loneliness, love, an obstacle, and... a happy ending. The pictures are a delicate, colourful delight, and the text is short and sweet, largely eschewing overt politics, and without attempting rhyming couplets.
But it does skewer Pence. The character who tries to stop the wedding has a tidy mop of white hair, a collared shirt, and red tie. He is described thus:
"The Stink Bug was In Charge. He was Important. None of the other animals could quite work out why he was In Charge or how he was Important, but he was."
Ethics of Imitation
This book was heavily promoted by John Oliver on HBO’s Last Week Tonight and it raced up the bestseller charts, quickly eclipsing the Pence book.
One’s attitude to that is likely to be framed by one’s attitude to Pence, and especially his views about the evils of homosexuality. But it’s not quite that simple.
Money from the Pence book is going to one charity that provides art therapy to children with cancer and another that tackles human trafficking.
On the other hand, all the proceeds from this are going to an AIDS charity and the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization that offers support to young LGBT community members.
(I'll leave aside the difference between proceeds and profits, and the malleability of both.)
Personally, I find Pence’s active hatred of LGBTQ+ and other minorities hateful, and if his family produce a children’s book with a political message, even for charitable causes, I think it becomes a valid target for parody, satire, or whatever.
Anyway, Charlotte Pence says she doesn't mind, because both books are raising money. She has bought this book, and also thinks imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, which wasn't quite the intention, but never mind. (Citation here and here.)
Love is love (as long as it's consensual).
Pastiches and Parodies on GR
Jill Twiss, should be an active reviewer on GR. Or maybe she is a pseudonym of Manny Rayner’s. Or maybe Manny wrote this! Or maybe it's just a Dickensian pseudonym of John Oliver's. (Disappointingly, it seems she's a real individual in her own right, who writes for The Daily Show.)
This book is a more than a parody, but it is like many of Manny’s most creative “reviews” (see my reviews of his collections, What Pooh Might Have Said to Dante..., HERE, and If Research Were Romance..., HERE).
Related Reviews
First, I read and reviewed Fire and Fury as one of the early headline-grabbing books of Trump’s regime (my review HERE).
Then this, as it was refreshingly fun, and with a good, positive message (my review HERE).
Next up was The Faith of Donald J. Trump: A Spiritual Biography as it’s at the rotten heart of what I most despise (my review HERE).
And finally, Fear: Trump in the White House as it’s by Bob Woodward: a multi award winning journalist and biographer of nine presidents, red and blue (my review HERE).
And then, Ladybird did a satire, using illustrations from children's books, A Ladybird Book About Donald Trump (my review HERE).
Most recently, Mary L Trump's psychological analysis of her dysfunctional family, Too Much and Never Enough (my review HERE).
March 22, 2018
This sweet little audiobook is only 7 minutes or so long.
Is it super special?
YES! It's about love and good friends and two adorable bunnies who just want to be together and hop around the garden. Forever. Together.
I think that's a lesson all children should become accustomed to at a young age.
Also, 100% of the proceeds from the sale of it goes towards The Trevor Project and AIDS United.
AND it comes with the added bonus of sticking it to VP Pence on the day his bunny book came out.
Sorry. Not sorry.
Besides, nobody ever said there were too many bunny books in this world and if someone has, hit the mute button. Immediately. Because who doesn't like bunnies?
No one, that's who.
Is it super special?
YES! It's about love and good friends and two adorable bunnies who just want to be together and hop around the garden. Forever. Together.
I think that's a lesson all children should become accustomed to at a young age.
Also, 100% of the proceeds from the sale of it goes towards The Trevor Project and AIDS United.
AND it comes with the added bonus of sticking it to VP Pence on the day his bunny book came out.
Sorry. Not sorry.
Besides, nobody ever said there were too many bunny books in this world and if someone has, hit the mute button. Immediately. Because who doesn't like bunnies?
No one, that's who.
July 1, 2023
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You know, it's funny. When I was watching the Last Week Tonight with John Oliver episode that talks about this book and I heard him say that this wasn't an adult book "telling Mike Pence to go fuck himself," I had a moment of amusement because that was literally exactly what I thought this book was going to be about. You see, Mike Pence has a pet bunny (BOTUS) named Marlon Bundo that has its own Instagram and everything. The second family also recently published a book about their bunny's adventures called MARLON BUNDO'S DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT. This book, A DAY IN THE LIFE OF MARLON BUNDO, is published by a staff writer of Last Week Tonight, and if that weren't hilarious enough, they also published their book a day earlier and made the bunny gay.
If you didn't know, Mike Pence is notoriously anti-gay and appears to subtly support conversion therapy, which, if you didn't know, is basically the idea that you can brainwash LGBT+ people into being straight. There's a dark comedy about conversion therapy called But I'm a Cheerleader , which is an amazing movie. RuPaul is in it. (I feel like RuPaul is basically the Kevin Bacon of all things gay - he seems to be connected to everything and everyone of note.) So taking his family pet and writing a gay love story about him is really the perfect revenge. But A DAY IN THE LIFE OF MARLON BUNDO isn't just a low-blow. The writers of Last Week Tonight could have taken the low road with this one and done something crude (albeit funny) but they didn't. Instead, they wrote a children's book about a gay bunny and the importance of voting for change. It was really, really cute and I found myself unexpectedly touched.
The proceeds of this book go to the Trevor Project and AIDS United, which are also great reasons to buy this book (apart from flipping the figurative finger at Mike Pence, of course), but honestly? This is a great tool to use to bring up sexuality with kids. There's nothing sexual about this book at all. It's just about love, and overcoming prejudice by voting for change. It's very empowering, and very cute, and normalizes LGBT+ people without resorting to stereotypes or cheap tropes (there's even a pair of gay kitties in here). It says that it's okay to be different, that everyone is different in their own way, and that we should live in a world where these differences should be celebrated instead of repressed.
I thought this book was really cute and I enjoyed reading it. You should read it, too.
4 stars
November 5, 2018
Each year my family reads all the Goodreads-award-nominated picture books, and we have been doing this for years. Everyone rates each book and adds a comment and it may (or may not) affect my overall rating. This is book #3 of 2018.
Lyra (11): 4.5 stars. I love this page: "Stinkbugs are temporary. Love is forever."
Hank (12): 4.5 stars. I like how it doesn't matter who you love.
Harry (13): Dad told me the background behind this book, that it was written after Mrs. Pence and her daughter wrote a book about their bunny and then they wrote a book where the bunny is gay. That's funny.
Tara: 4 stars. Fun! I like the line "Hooray! Because that is what friends say."
Jenn (family friend): "Hooray!" Because that is what friends say! Fun, sweet, funny.
Dave: 4 stars. A surprisingly sweet book by John Oliver/Jill Twiss that co-ops the Pence bunny (the BOTUS!), makes him gay, and has him fall in love with another (male!) bunny. Though Pence is infamously known for his antigay stance, this book is not a vicious political book, in case you were wondering. And not disrespectful to Pence or his family or the office of the VPOTUS or the flag or country, really. Something that is actually appropriate to read to littl'uns. Buy this book, because all the proceeds go to great causes.
Lyra (11): 4.5 stars. I love this page: "Stinkbugs are temporary. Love is forever."
Hank (12): 4.5 stars. I like how it doesn't matter who you love.
Harry (13): Dad told me the background behind this book, that it was written after Mrs. Pence and her daughter wrote a book about their bunny and then they wrote a book where the bunny is gay. That's funny.
Tara: 4 stars. Fun! I like the line "Hooray! Because that is what friends say."
Jenn (family friend): "Hooray!" Because that is what friends say! Fun, sweet, funny.
Dave: 4 stars. A surprisingly sweet book by John Oliver/Jill Twiss that co-ops the Pence bunny (the BOTUS!), makes him gay, and has him fall in love with another (male!) bunny. Though Pence is infamously known for his antigay stance, this book is not a vicious political book, in case you were wondering. And not disrespectful to Pence or his family or the office of the VPOTUS or the flag or country, really. Something that is actually appropriate to read to littl'uns. Buy this book, because all the proceeds go to great causes.
March 20, 2018
Stink bugs are temporary; love is forever.
Marlon Bundo is a boy bunny. But not just any bunny. He's the BOTUS (Bunny Of The US). He lives with his grandpa, the Vice President. One day, Malon meets another boy bunny and falls in love.
He wants to marry the boy bunny he has fallen in love with and all their animal friends get ready for the wedding. But then the stink bug tries to stop them.
This book was written by John Oliver, the host of HBO's Last Week Tonight in answer to a children's book Mike Pence, current VP of the US, has published with is wife.
Mike Pence's book is also about a bunny named Marlon Bundo, who shows kids a day in the life of the Vice President of the US. Not bad in general. The problem is that Mike Pence is a self-proclaimed Christian, conservative, and Republican (in this order, as he likes to always point out). He has promoted "gay cures" and is avidly against abortions.
Therefore, John Oliver and a few of his colleagues and friends seized the opportunity to instead teach children about love, tolerance, democracy and friendship.
I have both the audio and ebook because the illustrations are cute and the audio is funny thanks to who recorded the 7 minutes - and enjoyed both. Naturally, as it is a book for small children (or people who need to get their priorities straight ... or gay), the ebook or hardcover are better to illustrate some great points and bring across some of the more subtle jokes (which is why this got one star less). And there are many hidden and not-so-hidden hints and jokes, believe me. Doesn't matter that it's a thin book, it packs a punch!
The other great thing about this is that all of the royalties go to The Trevor Project and AIDS United.
June 29, 2018
Hooray for love!!!
THIS IS PRICELESS!!!!!
Paul and I both loved recognizing all the voices listening to the Audiobook!!!
THIS IS PRICELESS!!!!!
Paul and I both loved recognizing all the voices listening to the Audiobook!!!
December 25, 2021
Note: this book is listed as one of the most popular books to be banned, over the past decade, from both schools and private libraries. Support freedom of expression by reading and buying banned books! ❤️📚
April 1, 2019
It doesn't matter if you think John Oliver is a comedy genius or an idiot savant - this is brilliant!
March 19, 2018
Love IS forever!
Sure, I bought the book to give a middle finger to Mike Pence and the anti-LGBTQ zealots, but it also benefits a wonderful cause. Having said that, it's a very cute book that I would let any child read because it's about love. And, loving people (animals and bugs in the book) that are different. And yes, I feel a bit hypocritical after what I said about Pence and his I'll, but I don't claim to be perfect. Buy this book!!!
Sure, I bought the book to give a middle finger to Mike Pence and the anti-LGBTQ zealots, but it also benefits a wonderful cause. Having said that, it's a very cute book that I would let any child read because it's about love. And, loving people (animals and bugs in the book) that are different. And yes, I feel a bit hypocritical after what I said about Pence and his I'll, but I don't claim to be perfect. Buy this book!!!
March 20, 2018
This is sincerely a great children's book with a positive message about accepting people who are different, and about taking up the responsibility to vote. I couldn't recommend this more for kids.
Remember, unlike stinky bugs who like telling people what to do, love is forever...
The audiobook in particular has a great cast, very cute and well done.
Thanks, Last Week Tonight! (that was money well-spent)
Remember, unlike stinky bugs who like telling people what to do, love is forever...
The audiobook in particular has a great cast, very cute and well done.
Thanks, Last Week Tonight! (that was money well-spent)
March 21, 2018
Bun-derful, Bun-freshing, Bun-rilliant
I loved it! Every child and classroom in the world should have a copy. One star on purpose...in the spirit of John Oliver and others who are turning the tables with humor, intelligence and the best kind of humanity. Bundo and Friends for President!!!
I loved it! Every child and classroom in the world should have a copy. One star on purpose...in the spirit of John Oliver and others who are turning the tables with humor, intelligence and the best kind of humanity. Bundo and Friends for President!!!
September 27, 2019
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Stink bugs are temporary. Love is forever.
I nearly missed Banned Books Week!!!!
Luckily the fancy library is right down the street from the office and they came to the rescue . . . .
You go fancy library! You may not have mommy’s special types of science books that she likes, but you is smart, you is kind and you is important.
The story here is just what it says – a day in the life of a little bunny called Marlon Bundo. Marlon lives in a big old house called the White House with his grandpa, Mike Pence . . . .
*hold for groans – hold for groans*
There’s not a whole lot for a little bunny to do and Marlon is lonely *sadface* - untillllllllll he meets another bunny named Wesley and they fall into instalove (which normally would equal one star, but rabbits do have a reputation to withhold so it gets a pass) and decide they never want to hop alone again. But the Stink Bug in Charge has other plans . . . .
You see, he has already determined boy bunnies can only marry girl bunnies. So the bunnies (and hedgehogs and badgers and cats and otters and on and on and on) exercise their rights and vote that old stinker right out of office!
Okay, so I may have spoiled the entire thing, but hopefully no one cares. The whole point of this story is to teach the lesson that . . . .
Everyone is different. And different is NOT bad.
And to take a bit of the piss out of the uggos who are currently running theasylum country. All 5 Stars are granted simply for the fact that the proceeds from this book are 100% directed to charity. Now everyone go read a banned or challenged book.
Stink bugs are temporary. Love is forever.
I nearly missed Banned Books Week!!!!
Luckily the fancy library is right down the street from the office and they came to the rescue . . . .
You go fancy library! You may not have mommy’s special types of science books that she likes, but you is smart, you is kind and you is important.
The story here is just what it says – a day in the life of a little bunny called Marlon Bundo. Marlon lives in a big old house called the White House with his grandpa, Mike Pence . . . .
*hold for groans – hold for groans*
There’s not a whole lot for a little bunny to do and Marlon is lonely *sadface* - untillllllllll he meets another bunny named Wesley and they fall into instalove (which normally would equal one star, but rabbits do have a reputation to withhold so it gets a pass) and decide they never want to hop alone again. But the Stink Bug in Charge has other plans . . . .
You see, he has already determined boy bunnies can only marry girl bunnies. So the bunnies (and hedgehogs and badgers and cats and otters and on and on and on) exercise their rights and vote that old stinker right out of office!
Okay, so I may have spoiled the entire thing, but hopefully no one cares. The whole point of this story is to teach the lesson that . . . .
Everyone is different. And different is NOT bad.
And to take a bit of the piss out of the uggos who are currently running the
March 19, 2018
Awww... what a sweet silly book!
Yes, it took me less than five minutes to read it, and cost $12, but it is sweet, and silly, and has an AWESOME message, and the proceeds g9 to a great cause! Bunnies should marry whomever they want!
Yes, it took me less than five minutes to read it, and cost $12, but it is sweet, and silly, and has an AWESOME message, and the proceeds g9 to a great cause! Bunnies should marry whomever they want!
April 28, 2018
*** 5 ***
"..."Some people call me BOTUS -
A name any bunny would love.
It means "Bunny of the United States" -
A job I am very proud of!"..."
This was adorable!!!! I thought it would be just a joke, but it turned out to be an amazing book about tolerance and voting for kids. I went and purchased a ton of them for my friends with kids on Amazon, because I think it is a classic in the making! Marlon Bundo is impossible not to love, even though his grandpa is a stick in the mud:):):) I know that there are a lot of people who feel that we should not teach kids about homosexuality, but I think we should all agree that we should teach them that love is a good thing and we should cherish it! We should also all agree that acceptance and tolerance should be a part of children's education, but obviously many of us are more comfortable with teaching intolerance and hate...
"..."The Stink Bug was In Charge. He was Important. None of the other animals could quite work out why he was In Charge or how he was Important, but he was."..."
I recommend this book to everyone, big and small, and I hope this becomes a cherished addition to the children's library for most of us:):):)
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
"..."Some people call me BOTUS -
A name any bunny would love.
It means "Bunny of the United States" -
A job I am very proud of!"..."
This was adorable!!!! I thought it would be just a joke, but it turned out to be an amazing book about tolerance and voting for kids. I went and purchased a ton of them for my friends with kids on Amazon, because I think it is a classic in the making! Marlon Bundo is impossible not to love, even though his grandpa is a stick in the mud:):):) I know that there are a lot of people who feel that we should not teach kids about homosexuality, but I think we should all agree that we should teach them that love is a good thing and we should cherish it! We should also all agree that acceptance and tolerance should be a part of children's education, but obviously many of us are more comfortable with teaching intolerance and hate...
"..."The Stink Bug was In Charge. He was Important. None of the other animals could quite work out why he was In Charge or how he was Important, but he was."..."
I recommend this book to everyone, big and small, and I hope this becomes a cherished addition to the children's library for most of us:):):)
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
September 5, 2018
Brilliant. I bought it to stick it to the VP, and fell in love. Well done John Oliver et al.
June 23, 2018
VOTE NOT THE STINKBUG!!! This was actually a sweet and good story. Marlon finds love and his friends are happy for him. Marlon is also the BOTUS = bunny of the US. He lives in a big lonely house and he often feels lonely. Then Marlon meets Wesley. They are two boy bunnies.
This is a story about love is love and standing up for who you are and being true to yourself. It is also about standing up to bad advice and bad power. John Oliver and team wrote this book and besides making the BOTUS gay, there is little here about politics besides calling it all boring.
I'm sure this will sell more copies than the other book about Marlon Bundo. That's ok since the story has something to say. Read this to the kids and they thought it was cute. They like the book.
This is a story about love is love and standing up for who you are and being true to yourself. It is also about standing up to bad advice and bad power. John Oliver and team wrote this book and besides making the BOTUS gay, there is little here about politics besides calling it all boring.
I'm sure this will sell more copies than the other book about Marlon Bundo. That's ok since the story has something to say. Read this to the kids and they thought it was cute. They like the book.
May 24, 2018
This is adorable.
John Oliver strikes again!
John Oliver strikes again!
October 25, 2022
A book about love and tolerance that also trolls still-wants-to-be-President Mike Pence? And all the proceeds go to charity? My only regret is that I didn’t buy more copies. 😁 Highly recommended.
April 3, 2018
i listened to the audio book (cause i LOVE Jim Parson) i really enjoyed this short story, and loved it even more when i found out that it did better in terms of sales compared to Mike Pence's book *You Go, gay Marlon Bundo*! Love is Love <3
March 22, 2018
Marlon Bundo is not a godfather, or at least he doesn’t seem to be. It is important to know this. This picture book is a response to the Pence family book about their bunny rabbit and a plea for tolerance.
And as my students would say, “it is as funny as shit”.
Yeah, I’m not sure how shit is funny either. I mean, okay, I suppose if you have been constipated and then you go No 2, it might as good as shit. But what sort of weird tickling shit exists that makes you laugh?
This book by Jill Twiss (John Oliver) is about a bunny who falls in love with another bunny, another buck (I am sorry but a male bunny is a buck and not boy, just saying). and then Donald Trump/Pence aka Stinkbug tells them they can’t marry. Thankfully, Marlon Bundo has a bunch of friends, one of whom, the dog, understands democracy. The cool thing is that Marlon’s friends are all different in different ways – including a decorative turtle and a hedgehog (honesty, you have me at hedgehog) who likes to read the endings first to make sure the book isn’t too traumatic (Dude, put down Old Yeller!).
The artwork is beautiful.
Now, I’m sure that some people are going to get upset about this spoof of the Pence family book, but you know what – I don’t care. I don’t care at all. Pence has shown that he does not care about me because I have a vagina, and he wants some of my friend to change who they are. So, you know what, Mike Pence can take his homophobic, sexist self and jump in a lake.
Don’t worry, Marlon Bundo, you have a home for life.
A half star off because I am a comma purist so really 4.5, but the illustrations are so beautiful.
And as my students would say, “it is as funny as shit”.
Yeah, I’m not sure how shit is funny either. I mean, okay, I suppose if you have been constipated and then you go No 2, it might as good as shit. But what sort of weird tickling shit exists that makes you laugh?
This book by Jill Twiss (John Oliver) is about a bunny who falls in love with another bunny, another buck (I am sorry but a male bunny is a buck and not boy, just saying). and then Donald Trump/Pence aka Stinkbug tells them they can’t marry. Thankfully, Marlon Bundo has a bunch of friends, one of whom, the dog, understands democracy. The cool thing is that Marlon’s friends are all different in different ways – including a decorative turtle and a hedgehog (honesty, you have me at hedgehog) who likes to read the endings first to make sure the book isn’t too traumatic (Dude, put down Old Yeller!).
The artwork is beautiful.
Now, I’m sure that some people are going to get upset about this spoof of the Pence family book, but you know what – I don’t care. I don’t care at all. Pence has shown that he does not care about me because I have a vagina, and he wants some of my friend to change who they are. So, you know what, Mike Pence can take his homophobic, sexist self and jump in a lake.
Don’t worry, Marlon Bundo, you have a home for life.
A half star off because I am a comma purist so really 4.5, but the illustrations are so beautiful.
March 22, 2018
Adorable gay bunnies, charming illustrations, and a clever little story? I'm all in. I watched John Oliver and the animated teaser of the story made me misty-eyed, so I bought it on Kindle. And, it's for a great cause. Can't troll bigotry any cuter!
March 21, 2018
Stink bugs are temporary; love is forever.
Marlon Bundo is a boy bunny. But not just any bunny. He's the BOTUS (Bunny Of The US). He lives with his grandpa, the Vice President. One day, Malon meets another boy bunny and falls in love.
He wants to marry the boy bunny he has fallen in love with and all their animal friends get ready for the wedding. But then the stink bug tries to stop them.
This book was written by John Oliver, the host of HBO's Last Week Tonight in answer to a children's book Mike Pence, current VP of the US, has published with is wife.
Mike Pence's book is also about a bunny named Marlon Bundo, who shows kids a day in the life of the Vice President of the US. Not bad in general. The problem is that Mike Pence is a self-proclaimed Christian, conservative, and Republican (in this order, as he likes to always point out). He has promoted "gay cures" and is avidly against abortions.
Therefore, John Oliver and a few of his colleagues and friends seized the opportunity to instead teach children about love, tolerance, democracy and friendship.
I have both the audio and ebook because the illustrations are cute and the audio is funny thanks to who recorded the 7 minutes - and enjoyed both. Naturally, as it is a book for small children (or people who need to get their priorities straight ... or gay), the ebook or hardcover are better to illustrate some great points and bring across some of the more subtle jokes (which is why this got one star more). And there are many hidden and not-so-hidden hints and jokes, believe me. Doesn't matter that it's a thin book, it packs a punch!
The other great thing about this is that all of the royalties go to The Trevor Project and AIDS United.
April 14, 2018
This started as a joke on the John Oliver show, a response to the Mrs. Mike Pence children's book about the bunny Marlon Bundo, but it's actually super cute and follows children's book format very well, with repetition, simple message, positive. I'd read it to kids!
When I saw there was an audio version, I decided the money would go to a good cause. Voices like Jim Parsons, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jeff Garlin, Ellie Kemper, John Lithgow, Jack McBrayer, and RuPaul make this the best 7 minutes you could spend.
When I saw there was an audio version, I decided the money would go to a good cause. Voices like Jim Parsons, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jeff Garlin, Ellie Kemper, John Lithgow, Jack McBrayer, and RuPaul make this the best 7 minutes you could spend.
March 19, 2018
A very sweet and thoughtful story about love, friendship and democracy -- sort of like a phenomenological version Animal Farm, but written for the elementary school set. While it is true that this book was written in part to protest a cruel social movement, there is nothing cruel or snarky in this book. It's just a lovely story about love.
July 25, 2018
Because it doesn’t matter if you love a girl bunny or a boy bunny, or eat your sandwich backward or forward. Stink bugs are temporary. Love is forever.
Once upon a time in a land (alas, not) far away, a very mean man was elected Vice President. He was mean for many reasons, but one reason was he hated gay people a lot because they were different (and maybe for other, more Freudian reasons.) It would have been great if the President of this far away land could have realized his error and fired the mean man but, you see, he was very terrible also.
It was not an optimal situation.
But then the Vice President’s nice daughter wrote a book about her pet bunny and donated the proceeds to charity. This inspired the bard John Oliver (with help from the fair maiden Jill Twiss) to write a book about that bunny, except in this version the bunny was a boy bunny who wanted to marry another boy bunny. And those proceeds also went to charity, an AIDS charity (AIDS United) and a suicide hotline for LGBTQ youth (The Trevor Project.)
And the second book far outsold the first book, and maybe it taught some kids that being different is ok and allowed a few LGBTQ youth to love themselves enough to keep going. And THAT is fantastic. It’s not enough, but it’s still fantastic.
And until the day when people worry about real problems and not who can be in love with who, a girl (ok, a middle-aged woman, lets not splithares hairs) won’t sit and cry over a book where two boy bunnies found love and everyone who didn’t like it was stupid and could go to Hell.
But let’s get real, she’d probably cry regardless because she’s kind of a pussy.
Once upon a time in a land (alas, not) far away, a very mean man was elected Vice President. He was mean for many reasons, but one reason was he hated gay people a lot because they were different (and maybe for other, more Freudian reasons.) It would have been great if the President of this far away land could have realized his error and fired the mean man but, you see, he was very terrible also.
It was not an optimal situation.
But then the Vice President’s nice daughter wrote a book about her pet bunny and donated the proceeds to charity. This inspired the bard John Oliver (with help from the fair maiden Jill Twiss) to write a book about that bunny, except in this version the bunny was a boy bunny who wanted to marry another boy bunny. And those proceeds also went to charity, an AIDS charity (AIDS United) and a suicide hotline for LGBTQ youth (The Trevor Project.)
And the second book far outsold the first book, and maybe it taught some kids that being different is ok and allowed a few LGBTQ youth to love themselves enough to keep going. And THAT is fantastic. It’s not enough, but it’s still fantastic.
And until the day when people worry about real problems and not who can be in love with who, a girl (ok, a middle-aged woman, lets not split
But let’s get real, she’d probably cry regardless because she’s kind of a pussy.
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