Customer Reviews

Bunnicula : A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula Ser.)

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Children's librarians have to prepare for certain kinds of questions. When a child walks up to your Reference Desk, you need to be ready to get them the exact book they're looking for at the exact moment that they want it. I get a lot of young kids, mostly girls, who want a good vampire book of their very own. Aside from the usual "Vampire State Building" and "Dracula Is a Pain In the Neck", both by Elizabeth Levy, there's really not a lot out there to recommend wholeheartedly. In fact, nine times out of ten, I find myself suggesting that most accessible of vampirism books, "Bunnicula". It doesn't star a human vampire, but you can hardly blame me. Now just this past week I found myself in the unenviable position of needing to find lots and lots and lots of copies of a single book for the upcoming meeting of my homeschooler bookgroup. And what delightful chapter book did I have enough copies in my library branch to satisfy screaming hoards of homeschooled kiddies? Again, it's "Bunnicula" to the rescue. It may not seem at first glance to have earned itself the moniker of "classic children's book", but I can attest right here and right now that when it comes to lifesaving go-to titles, I'll take "Bunnicula" over "Bridge To Terebithia" or "Are You There God, It's Me Margaret", any day.

Some dogs have an inherent dignity about them that sees them through even the most ridiculous of situations with their heads held high. Harold is such a dog. Harold lives, with his close companion Chester the cat, with the Monroe family. Life with the Monroes has never been what you would call "exciting". That is, until the family comes back one day from a "Dracula" film with a tiny shivering rabbit found in the theater. They promptly name him Bunnicula in honor of the film but the bunny is not much of a companion. He sleeps all day and never seems to touch his food. When Chester becomes convinced that the rabbit is actually a vampire he takes it upon himself (with a reluctant Harold in tow) to defeat this new nemesis to the Monroe home.

Bunnies are the quintessential unexpected villains of books and films. When you've already been pegged as the world's most harmless mammal, it's amazing how threatening you become out of context. Movies like "Donnie Darko", "Sexy Beast", "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", and television shows like "The Maxx" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" have all played on evil-rabbit (or rabbit fearing) situations. It makes perfect sense that a children's book would do the same. In this book, husband/wife team of Deborah and James Howe strike just the right balance between creepy-crawly threat and completely ludicrous situation. For this reason, Harold is the perfect narrator. He may not be as clever and well-read as Chester, but he has a kind of down-to-earth common sense that keeps him clear of Chester's fads and frenzies. Though the book was written originally in 1978, the part of the book where the cat becomes enamored of self-help and self-esteem books (such as "Finding Yourself By Screaming A Lot") rings as true, if not truer, today.

It's the humor that buoys up the book. The Howes aren't afraid to plug in little jokes that kids may not get here and there. For example, when Chester and Harold are discussing what vampires actually do, Chester says that they bite people on the next. Harold responds (with some alarm) that Mrs. Monroe has bitten Mr. Monroe on the neck and does that make her a vampire? Chester scoffs at this. "Boy, are you dumb. She's not a vampire. She's a lawyer". Cue the adults reading this book aloud to their kids thinking to themselves that the difference may not be so great after all. The pacing of "Bunnicula" commands some appreciation as well. Though a slim 98 pages, the Howes have found a way to keep the action tight and the plot convincing. I would venture to say that there are few books out there more difficult to write than early chapter books with lots of pictures that are less than 100 pages and still wholly original. Finally, illustrator Alan Daniel gives us some great pictures in this book. I was more than a little pleased to find that he's gone on to illustrate the "Cat Pack" books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Couldn't have happened to a better guy.

Kids who are beginning to get comfortable with chapter books but who haven't completely put down their "Captain Underpants" novels will find much to enjoy in this book. Animal lovers and fans of the supernatural alike will appreciate what the Howes were able to accomplish here. A great book and a wonderfully remembered one as well.

The first time I was introduced to this book was as a child in elementary school. My teacher read us a little bit of this book everyday right before lunch. I got my own copy a couple years later and have reread it a couple time every year - quite a few times as I'm now 26! I love the opening page where Harold is sitting in front of the nice, warm radiator. It always made me feel like curling up under a blanket in the middle of winter with this book. My favorite character is Chester (the cat) because he's so zany. He provides non-stop entertainment in his quest to get rid of the vampire bunny. To this day, I still laugh when I get to the part where he has to pound a stake into the vampire's heart! I would recommend this book to kids of all ages (even the over 20 group)!

I read the book Bunnicula. It's about a dog named Harold
and a cat named Chester. And of course a rabbit named
Bunnicula.(not your ordinary cuddley rabbit.)
It all started when harold and chester's owners came
home from a dracula movie.And the owners didn't come
home by themselves. They came with a box with a rabbit
in it.They put the rabbit in a cage. They had some
trouble nameing the rabbit. But they finally found
the name of bunnicula. Probably because of the fact
that they found bunnicula at a dracula movie.
And they sure picked the right name for him. Chester
began to notice that the black spot on Bunnicula looked
like a cape. Chester stayed awake to see what bunnicula
did at night.(I would of though a rabbit would sleep
at night.) Chester noticed that the sly rabbit wasn't
in his cage. He heard a noise in the kitchen. The door
of the kitchen opened. And guess who was hopping happily
out of the kitchen.(That was a sentance from the book.)
The next morning all of the veggitables were white.
On the third time Bunnicula went out for his midnight snack
Chester was prepared. He was trying to starve Bunnicula.
Harold yelled at Chester. Bunnicula looked sick.A few
days later Harold took Bunnicula out of his cage and
lead him to the kitchen. I can't tell the ending because
this is an online review. I recommend this book if you
like bunny vampires.

Deborah Howe's sense of child entertainment and enrichment is out of this world, and Bunnicula, A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery, is a monument of that sense. Reading Bunnicula is one of the fondest memories I have of the third grade--absolutely priceless. This book is a must for fun-loving, imaginative children.

I first read this book in fifth grade, and since that time (some twenty years) I have been persuading every person I know to read it. This is the book that first convinced me that HOW a book is written can be just as much fun as the story itself. Bizarre plot notwithstanding, this little book is brilliantly written and laugh-out-loud funny. It is one of two books that inspired me to become an author, and I absolutely treasure it. A must-read for kids of all ages!

Dear Readers,

The title of the book is "Bunnicula," and the authors' names are Deborah and James Howe. It is about a cat named Chester, a bunny named Bunnicula, and a dog named Harold. Harold is the narrator. Chester thinks Bunnicula is a bunny vampire, but Harold disagrees.

My favorite part of the story was when Chester dressed up as Bunnicula. Chester dressed up as Bunnicula to try to convince the rest of the family that Bunnicula was the cause of the strange things that had been happening around the house. My favorite character was Bunnicula because he was funny, mysterious, and interesting.

It was a unique book. It did not remind me of any other book.

Bunnicula is a good book for kids who like adventure. It was a light read for me, but I still enjoyed it. It has nine chapters.

Quinlan
(Age 9)

Harold the dog and Chester the cat think that they're in for a relaxing night by the fireplace, sheltered from the rain pelting the windows outside, when they are most rudely interrupted by the beloved Monroe family (Mom and Dad Monroe, and their two sons, Toby and Pete). Sure, the Monroe's are wonderful people, but everyone knows that when a dog and a cat have finally settled down and gotten comfortable for the night, it is extremely rude to disturb them. Especially when what you're disturbing them with is an unexpected addition to the family in the form of a rabbit with fangs. Who just so happens to have black and white markings that resemble a cape, and who, oddly enough, was found at a Dracula movie. The family soon names the little bunny Bunnicula - combing the words Dracula and bunny to come up with something extremely ridiculous - and give him a home in a cozy cage, where he receives crispy vegetables everyday. However, Chester knows that there is something very peculiar about this particular rabbit. Not only is he nocturnal, spending each and every daylight hour fast asleep, and waking only once the moon is in the sky; but ever since Bunnicula arrived, all of the vegetables in the house - even the ones in the refrigerator - have begun turning white, the victim of having had their juices sucked out of them, much like the way Dracula sucks the blood out of his victims. Of course, Chester is the only one who seems to notice these occurrences, for not only is he well-read, he's taken on the personality of Sherlock Holmes, and is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, even if it kills him, or lands him in the doghouse.

When I was in grade school, my classmates went absolutely wild for James Howe's BUNNICULA books, yet I never even picked one up, opting to read R.L. Stine's FEAR STREET series, or various fairytale's. However, after reading HOWLIDAY INN about a year ago, I instantly fell in love with the characters of Harold and Chester, and wanted to read more about them - I am certainly glad that I did. Unlike Harold and Chester, Bunnicula does not speak throughout this gory tale, but it is quite evident that he understands everything going on around him, based solely on the fact that his facial expressions reveal just that, and illustrate how he expresses his emotions. Harold is a lovable, shaggy dog, whose determination to knock some sense into Chester, and save Bunnicula from his mad scientist ways are heroic; while Chester's bizarre antics, and well-read nature make him absolutely hilarious. Bunnicula, on the other hand, is a breed of vampire that will stick out in reader's minds forever, as he is unique, and extremely strange - in a lovable way. While we do not encounter the Monroe children very often, the few times they come into scenes, they are extremely compassionate, and will appeal to animal lover's; while their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Monroe's inclusion of Chester, Harold, and even Bunnicula as family members is extremely refreshing and enjoyable. A one-of-a-kind vampire tale that will give you goosebumps - accompanied by giggles!

Erika Sorocco

Freelance Reviewer

I don't care how old I get, I'm just not going to turn down a chance to read a book about a vampire rabbit, especially if it's told from the point of view of a dog. Good old Harold was pretty much living the good life until the introduction into the household of a cute wittle bunny wabbit the Monroes brought home with them from the movies one night. (Apparently a Dracula fan, the bunny was all settled in to watch the Count do his thing when one of the Monroe kids sat on him in the theater.) Little Bunnicula doesn't really bother Harold at all, since he sleeps all day and doesn't come between him and his treats. Harold's feline friend Chester, on the other hand, doesn't cotton to Bunnicula at all, seeing what no one else seems to notice - this bunny has fangs, and his coloration pattern sometimes makes it look like he's wearing a cape. Reading up on vampires while the Monroes sleep, Chester quickly becomes obsessed with getting this little bat in bunny's clothing out of the house as soon as possible - especially after healthy vegetables begin to show up completely drained of their color.

There are some really funny bits in this story, including my favorite scene wherein Chester tries to inform the Monroes know that their newest pet is a vampire. Unfortunately, all this achieves is the Monroes' growing belief that their cat is getting cabin fever and needs to spend some quality time outside. With Chester temporarily out of the picture, Harold befriends Bunnicula, leaving Chester to resort to drastic measures once he finally gets the run of the house again. This leads to perhaps the funniest scene in the story, Chester's attempt to get rid of the vampire bunny for good - he does just what the vampire book says, but his inability to distinguish between two words that look and sound very much alike proves to be his undoing (as well as, to Harold's eyes, a potentially horrifying waste of a scrumptious dinner).

As an adult, I really enjoyed reading about Bunnicula's introduction into the lives of Harold and Chester, and I'm sure kids will get a big kick out of the story, as well. I must add one note of caution regarding this novel, however. One of Harold's favorite treats is chocolate, which we now know to be quite dangerous to dogs. Since young children reading this book may very well try to emulate the Monroes' habit of feeding Harold chocolate, parents need to make sure their children know that they should never feed any chocolate to their own dogs. Bunnicula is really a wonderful book, but there really should be some sort of warning label on it, for the sake of family dogs everywhere.

We are homeschoolers, Christians, and we love Bunnicula stories. Hilarious! Charming! A great start for young readers.

Bunnicula is the new bunny adopted by the Monroe family. He got the name "Bunnicula" because he's obviously a bunny and they found him at a Dracula movie. Everybody loves him except Chester the cat, whose jealousy grows to suspicion when he notices the cute little baby rabbit has fangs instead of normal incisors.

Harold the dog doesn't believe his friend's theory about Bunnicula being a vampire bunny. However, when Chester claims to have seen Bunnicula sneaking out of the kitchen late one night and then a drained white tomato is found in the kitchen the following morning, Harold can't help but believe Chester is right.

Following the incident, several more white vegetables are found, and because the Monroes don't suspect their newest pet is responsible for sucking the life out of their food, Chester takes it on himself to rid the house of Bunnicula. He tries several times by decorating the house with garlic and driving a "steak" through the sleeping bunny's heart, but in the end, the Monroes think Chester is just jealous of the new bunny. Consequently, he's sent to a cat psychiatrist to resolve his sibling rivalry, leaving the mystery of Bunnicula open and unanswered.

"Bunnicula" is a great book for kids 8 - 12, especially for those who love cats, dogs, or rabbits. If you liked this book, I would also recommend the other books involving Harold, Chester, and Bunnicula: The Celery Stalks at Midnight, Howliday Inn, Return to Howliday Inn, Nighty-Nightmare, Bunnicula Escapes! and Bunnicula Strikes Again!

For fans of animal-oriented children's books, try "Charlotte's Web" by E. B. White, "The Secret of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien, "Racso and the Rats of NIMH" by Jane Leslie Conly, as well as "The Mouse and the Motorcycle", "Ralph S. Mouse", and "Runaway Ralph" by Beverly Cleary.