First Published: 1979

Rating: Great

"I shall never forget the first time I laid these now tired old eyes on our visitor."

Bunnicula is a perfect example of how they don't make kids' books the way they used to. A collaboration between Deborah and James Howe, this rabbit-tale of a mystery is just as good now as it was when I first read it as a child.

The story revolves around the pets of the Monroe household. Harold, the narrator, is a mutt possessed of the inherent dignity one often finds in such creatures, and that's what keeps him from getting pulled too deeply into the schemes of the literate but paranoid tabby-cat Chester. Life is good until the Monroe family comes back from a showing of Dracula one dark and stormy night.

That's because they've brought back a bunny they found in a shoebox at the theatre. Don't ask me what a bunny was doing at the theatre; just accept it and move on. Anyway, after much discussion, the bunny is named Bunnicula, and the family heads off to bed.

Meanwhile, Chester is suspicious of the newest member of the family, and thinks the poor innocent bunny is hiding something sinister. When the Monroes start discovering white vegetables that have been sucked dry in their kitchen, Chester becomes convinced that Bunnicula is a vampire bunny. A reluctant Harold protests that the bunny could be anything but a rabbit, but the cat is determined to get to the truth. "Today vegetables, tomorrow the world!"

The ending wraps up a little quickly, but all-in-all Bunnicula is a cute story, one that older kids can read by themselves or younger kids can read with their parents. There's a lot to enjoy for all ages--the Howes snuck in a few jokes that adults will appreciate. The book also has a good message about accepting people (or animals) the way they are.

My main concern in suggesting this story is that Harold the dog is rather fond of chocolate cupcakes. Lord knows I have nothing against chocolate cupcakes, but Harold is quite the persausive dog when it comes to conning the treats out of the youngest member of the Monroe household (baby bunnies excluded). Parents should be mindful of letting their kids know that dogs and chocolate don't mix. Apart from that, Bunnicula is nothing but a wholesome, family-friendly mystery story with great characters and an entertaining plotline that's just as fun today as it was when it was published a quarter of a decade ago.

Bunnicula is the first book in a series of books about the Monroe family's pets, the first three of which (Bunnicula, Howliday Inn, and The Celery Stalks at Midnight) are available in the Bunnicula-in-a-Box set. 

[Buy Bunnicula at Amazon.com] | [Buy James Howe books at BookCloseouts.com]