Let’s Get to Know Marlon Bundo (Best Discovery Ever, Thanks to Charlotte Pence!)

Friends!  How many of you know there’s a real-live rabbit living at the home of our Vice President, Mike Pence?

Today we shall meet a handsome, black and white rabbit named Marlon Bundo, a/k/a BOTUS (Bunny of the United States). The story gets more fun by the minute.

I recently heard an interview (check it out via www.metaxastalk.com from 3/27/18) of our Vice President’s daughter, Charlotte, and her mother, Karen, our Second Lady, about Charlotte’s newest book, Marlon Bundo’s A Day in the Life of the Vice President.  Charlotte penned the prose while Karen created the illustrations.

Charlotte got Marlon for a school project when she was in college, but Marlon still lives with the Pences in their residence, along with Harley and Hazel, a puppy and a kitten, and we mustn’t forget about Saphira, their pet snake.  You think I’m kidding.

Equally astonishing, Marlon Bundo has his own Instagram account with a mere 33,000+ followers as of this writing. (@marlonbundo) The pictures are adorable.  I’m a fan, clearly.

Oh, but the book!  Yes, I’ve bought one for our little Claire even tho’ she’s not quite old enough, yet.  I also got one for our daughter-in-love, Lauren, who’s a second-grade teacher.  Second graders are exactly the age group this book is geared toward. (However, every single adult I’ve shared this with has become quite enamored with it.)

Remember the Where’s Waldo books?  Charlotte’s book reminds me of finding Waldo as you try to find Marlon on each page, also thanks to Karen’s engaging watercolors.

We get to accompany Marlon and Vice President Pence to see what a day holds for them in Washington, D.C.  We go to the West Wing of the White House, the Oval Office (where Marlon’s found munching on a carrot on the carpet!), the Capitol, and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

I love that Charlotte includes a shout out to artist, T.C. Steele, who also hails from Indiana.  Marlon looks at the painting while perched on Vice President Pence’s shoulder.

We learn the Pence’s residence is right by the Naval Observatory where we get to see a special telescope. The Pences actually live at the Naval Observatory Base. The back of the book shares many additional fun facts you’ll love learning.

My favorite part of the book happens to be the last page of the story.  Marlon and Vice President Pence are finally home after a very long day:

Karen’s illustration on this page is so endearing with Marlon’s paws on Vice President Pence’s hand, which is on top of an open Bible.  He’s reading in the Book of Jeremiah and my guess is he’ll land on Jeremiah 29:11:

Spread the word about this wonderful book!

Proceeds go to two super endeavors:  1 – to a pediatric art therapy project, Tracy’s Kids,  and 2 – to www.A21.org , which Christine Caine started, working to end slavery and human trafficking.

Since school’s nearly out, for the next few weeks, we’ll be talking about a couple more children’s books as well as books for adults filled with suggested reading.  Think summer reading potential!

‘Til next time!