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Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery
by Deborah Howe, James Howe (Illustrator: Alan Daniel)
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Scholastic (1997)
ISBN: 0590313185
EAN: 9780590313186
Paperback: 98 pages
SKU: 10934
Condition: Good
Comments: Binding: Softcover. Condition: Good.
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Customer Reviews
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Great start, undermined by poor finish
Rating  (3)
Date: 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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Great book for any age!
Rating  (5)
Date: 2008-08-24
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
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-07-28
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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Book Review by Charlie
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-07-21
Bunnicula is a bunny the Monroes found at the movie Dracula. They later named him Bunnicula. Chester the cat loves to read and he's smart. Soon enough he found out that the bunny was a vampire! Will Bunnicula turn good or bite the whole family?
I think people who like suspense will love this book. And you will meet the narrator, a dog named Harold. So I hope you bring stuff vampires hate because Bunnicula has surprises waiting for you!
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A Vampire Rabbit
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-11-29
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
A Vampire Rabbit??
White vegetables? What's up with that? Was it Pete's latest science experiment? Or was it the new rabbit? Or possibly some new sort of fungus? Read this book to find out!
Bunnicula is a story about the Monroe family, that find a baby bunny at the theaters, while watching the famous horror movie `DRACULA!!!!!' The bunny develops some very odd behavior. He sleeps all day and is up all night, and he has a bunch of black fur on his back, in the shape of a cloak. The next day, they suspect something's up. There are white vegetables all over the house! Then, Chester thinks bunnicla is draining them, so he starves the poor guy! Will Harold save the day? Or will bunnicula die of starvation!!
My favorite part of the book is when Harold and Chester gets tomorrow nights dinner, steak, and starts to whap poor bunnicula with it because he thougt it would kill the poor rabbit !poor little guy!!!
I think the authors purpouse was to entertain all readers with a hilarious comedy/mystery.
I would highly recommend this book because from my opinion,everyone will love. By caroline.
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