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Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula)
written by Deborah Howe, James Howe
Studio : Aladdin
by Aladdin
Publisher : Aladdin
Released : 2006-08-08
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9781416928171
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 104 reviews)
List Price : $5.99
Our Price : $2.04
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Product Description |
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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! |
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Americancivilwar.com Review |
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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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It's a vampire bunny. What's not to love? |
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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. |
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Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery |
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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! |
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Great start, undermined by poor finish |
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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Great book for any age! |
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I won't lie I bought this book for myself and I am in my 30's. I recall reading it when I was a child and how much I loved it. So I could not wait to get it in the mail so I could read it again. If only I still had that hardback addition I had when I was a kid! How can you not like this book? It is about a bunny vampire! I can't wait till my son can appreciate this book like I do. |
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Vampire Bunny |
Well let me start off by commenting on the fantastic cover this book has. That is what first drew me to this book. I can recall when I was a kid and I would see the book cover and look away because it frightened me. But that was it's allure. Every kid thinks the same thing, "What's that?".
I recently purchased this book to read with my son, and when he saw the book cover he looked at it freaked out, "A bunny with fangs?". But for some strange reason children are compelled to read it to find out what it's about. It's always a chore to get my son to sit down and read a book with me. I'll read three pages of a book and he'll say, "That's enough for tonight". So I thought I might get the same reaction w/ this book. However I was shocked when I said let's read Bunnicula and he jumped right next to me so I can start reading. I really believe that the cover may have scared him a little but it made him want to find out what this book is all about.
Now that I've talked none stop about the creative book cover let me talk about the story. Once I opened the book I couldn't stop reading. God's honest truth. First time my son has let me read to him a whole chapter in one night. My son loves the characters. Harold is the most well spoken dog we have ever come across. Chester is simply a delight. This book is so, so ,so well written that I am truly impressed. The writer is able to scare us and make us laugh. My son is so excited about reading each night because he wants to know more about the vampire bunny. Hats off to the writer and illustrator, well done. |
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