Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery |
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Author:
Deborah Howe,
James Howe
By Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Average Customer Rating:  
List Price: $16.95
Our Price: $9.99
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Product Description
THIS book is written by Harold. His full time occupation is dog. He lives with Mr. and Mrs. X (here called Monroe) and their sons Toby and Pete. Also sharing the home are a cat named Chester and a rabbit named Bunnicula. It is because of Bunnicula that Harold turned to writing. Someone had to tell the full story of what happened in the Monroe household after the rabbit arrived. It all began when the Monroes went to see the movie Dracula At the theater Toby found something on his seatÑa baby rabbit that he took home and named Bunnicula. It proved to be an apt name, at least as far as Chester was concerned. A well-read and observant cat, he soon decided that there was something odd about the newcomer. For one thing he seemed to have fangs. And the odd markings on his back looked a little like a cape. Furthermore, Bunnicula slept from sunup to sundown. He was awake only at night. When the family started funding white vegetables, drained dry, with two fang marks in them, Chester was sure Bunnicula was a vampire. But what to do about it. None of the family seemed to grasp the trouble, and Chester's hilarious hints were totally misunderstood. Was Bunnicula really a vampire? Only Bunnicula knows for sure. But the story of Chester's suspicions and their consequences makes uproarious reading.
Amazon.com Review
This immensely popular children's story is told from the point of view of a dog named Harold. It all starts when Harold's human family, the Monroes, goes to see the movie Dracula, and young Toby accidentally sits on a baby rabbit wrapped in a bundle on his seat. How could the family help but take the rabbit home and name it Bunnicula? Chester, the literate, sensitive, and keenly observant family cat, soon decides there is something weird about this rabbit. Pointy fangs, the appearance of a cape, black-and-white coloring, nocturnal habits … it sure seemed like he was a vampire bunny. When the family finds a white tomato in the kitchen, sucked dry and colorless, well … Chester becomes distraught and fears for the safety of the family. "Today, vegetables. Tomorrow … the world!" he warns Harold. But when Chester tries to make his fears known to the Monroes, he is completely misunderstood, and the results are truly hilarious. Is Bunnicula really a vampire bunny? We can't say. But any child who has ever let his or her imagination run a little wild will love Deborah and James Howe's funny, fast-paced "rabbit-tale of mystery." (Ages 9 to 12)
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Vastly superior to Twilight, 2008-12-18
I read this book many times as a child. It is narrated by a dog and is about a family and their pets, which include the narrator, a cat, and a strange bunny they find in a cardboard box at a Dracula movie. The cat is convinced that the rabbit is actually a vampire! The dog is not so sure. What I liked best about the book were all the puns.
A great, safe "scary" story for kidsThis tale of a bunny found in a movie theater showing Dracula is as old as I am. But the lov, 2008-11-24
This tale of a bunny found in a movie theater showing Dracula is as old as I am. But the lovably dumb dog who is the point of view character and his cat friend who is too smart for his own good really seem to connect with kids. This books also has just enough tension to be exciting and enough camp to make the mystery safe rather than scary. Horror fans take note, this is a great starter book for the genre.
It's a vampire bunny. What's not to love?, 2008-10-26
Can there be any book more perfect than the tale of "Bunnicula"? I remember reading this and loving this when I was young, but my rereading with my classhas made me appreciate the story so much more. Howe's writing is clever, fresh, and mature; the concept of the impressive articulation of a dog named Harold is hilarious. As well is the entire concept of a vampire bunny. This book is funny, original, well-organized, and thoroughly a delight to read.
Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery, 2008-10-21
Classic story that's been around for a long time. It's a great way to respond to young kids, especially boys, who are longing for "blood and guts" stories. It's spooky but G rated. I'm an education specialist and I'm using it with two second grade boys who are loving it!
 Great start, undermined by poor finish, 2008-09-29
Growing up, this was one of several novels adapted for television in ABC's "Weekend Special." (For those of you who aren't old enough to recall, this was a half-hour anthology series that adapted popular young adult novels for television in the hopes of getting kids interested in reading. Think "Reading Rainbow" for the tween set.)
If you've seen the special (look for it on YouTube for a trip down memory lane), you know the special borrowed the basic concept of the story but added some other bits in an attempt to make it more "exciting" for the television viewing audience, including having Bunnicula's eyes glow when he was in full vampire mode and giving him the ability to fly. Whether or not this is a good thing, I'm not sure, though I can see why the writers or execs felt the need to punch up the story a bit.
Re-reading this now, years later (or more accurately, listening to the superbly read audio adapation of this story), I was struck again by how great, fascinating and intriguing the premise is for the first three quarters of the story, only to be let down by a hasty ending and an almost too neat resolution to the whole thing.
One night at the movies, the Monroe family find a mysterious cardboard box with a rabbit inside. The family brings the rabbit home and decide to adopt him, naming him Bunnicula since Dracula was playing when they found him. The family's other pets, Harold the dog (the narrator for this story) and Chester the cat, welcome the new addition to the family.
Then, mysterious things begin to happen. Vegetables begin to show up, drained and wait. Bunnicula sleeps all day and is only heard to be moving about at night. All of this sets off Chester's suspicions that the rabbit is actually some kind of vampire bunny. Chester takes it upon himself to rid the family of the rabbit before Bunnicula moves on from vegetables.
So far, so good, right?
However, it's in the final chapter or two that things begin to fall apart. Once Chester is caught trying to destroy Bunnicula by the family, things rapidly spiral toward a conclusion. The sense of mystery built up in the early chapters fizzles and the story gives us a rapidly constructed conclusion. I recall being disappointed by it when I read it the first time many years ago and being just as disappointed with it upon reading now
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Binding: Hardcover
EAN: 9780689307003
Format: Illustrated
ISBN: 0689307004
Label: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Manufacturer: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 112
Publication Date: 1979-03-01
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Studio: Atheneum Books for Young Readers |
