Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery

by James Howe and Deborah Howe

Book Overview

BEWARE THE HARE
Is he or isn't he a vampire?

Before it's too late, Harold the dog and Chester the cat must find out the truth about the newest pet in the Monroe household -- a suspicious-looking bunny with unusual habits...and fangs

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416928170
• ISBN13: 9781416928171
• Release Date: May 2010
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.0" x 7.4"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

I Could Read it Over and Over!

The characters are awesome and funny! I love the story line. I recommend it to my friends and siblings. I'm excited to read the rest of the series! Good book for young readers.

This book made me want a vampiretic bunny.

Bunnicula was a short read, that was fictionally written by and in the point of view of Harold the dog, one of the main characters, in the Bunnicula series. Will Harold and Chester, the cat, find a way to save their family from vampire with a cottontail in time, before it can do something truly evil? This is a perfect story for middle school kids, and adults alike, for a not-so-spooky, spooky Halloween read. The characters, (Herald, Chester, the mute odd Bunnicula the rabbit, and the Monroe family,) were a pleasure to read about, and also comforting to know that my family isn't the only one to talk to their animals like their human. The thrills had me at the edge of my seat and the laughs had me in stitches the whole book through. I definitely recommend this if you have a kiddo interested in a little spooky reading, or for yourself if you want something light hearted and with a spooky twist.

I loved it as a kid!

This was one of my favorite books (back when I was in 2nd grade), so I just had to get a copy for myself! I love the mystery of this story, and it's just the right kind of spooky to engage school-aged kids (my own liked it when they were younger as well). If you are looking for a bunny tale that is a little bit scary, look no further than "Bunnicula," still one of my favorites!

Time hasn't impacted the read

I read this as a kid and remember loving it, so I ordered for my kids. They also loved it. They keep asking to order every one in the series. Fun and spooky!

A Childhood Classic

This book was one of my favorites of my childhood and I'm excited to re-collect the series as an adult. Shout-out to the Howes for creating a delightful series that not only serves to entertain children, but gives them the credit of enjoying spooky stories without fear. A fantastic read for children and an awesome boost of nostalgia for adults.

Bunniculee, Bunnicula, Bunniculee, Bunicula-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

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 enamore

ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!

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

Humor and style

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!

One of the most entertaining stories I've read!

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)!

Bunnicula: The Ultimate in Escape Fiction for Children

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.