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Book Reviews of Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1)

Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1)
Bunnicula A RabbitTale of Mystery - Bunnicula, Bk 1
Author: Deborah Howe, James Howe, Alan Daniel (Illustrator)
ISBN-13: 9780689806599
ISBN-10: 0689806590
Publication Date: 1997
Pages: 98
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 52

4 stars, based on 52 ratings
Publisher: Aladdin
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

20 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on
Helpful Score: 3
This is probably the funniest childrens book my son and I have ever read. A delightful, well thought out story, as told from the pets perspective. We laughed out loud through the whole story and were sad to see it end. A real joy to read something that is out of the ordinary again.
reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on + 31 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Very cute book for younger readers. Started my life-long love affair with sympathetic vampire characters.
reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I read this whole series of books at about 12 years old. I've just reread them at age 32...I still laughed out loud repeatedly!
reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on + 10 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
When I was in the fourth grade, my teacher sat in a rocking chair every afternoon and we sat in a circle at her feet and she read us this great book. I thought that my memories of being read to by a beloved teacher may have clouded my judgement about this book but a friend bought me a copy as a gift a few years ago and I still love it. It's clever and delightful.
DameEdna avatar reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on + 149 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I loved the entire series of these books, and I read them before I even had children. Now my children have loved them, too.
reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on + 17 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I read this book when I was young, and now I read it with my kids! A great, funny mystery suitable for kids ages 7 - 10. Hilarious point of view from a dog and cat, with a vegetable-juice-sucking bunny.
celticscrapper27 avatar reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on + 54 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
It was just as good as a grown up! I read this one with my husband, a chapter every night so he could appreciate the story before I started reading it to our first baby. A light-hearted, funny read from the dog's point of view. An enjoyable read for all ages.
Raine avatar reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on + 23 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Who can resist Bunnicula the vampire bunny? A favorite of my kids for years.
reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on + 109 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This was a book that I just picked up at a used book sale and adore this book. I remember when I read it to my child and we laughed and laughed at the characters in this book. While reading this book I ascribed certain voices to each character and tried to stay in character while reading this entertaining and darling book for children ages 6 to 12 years old.
Its a classic and a must read. I shall reread it to my family again just for the humor and antics of these hilarious characters. I give this book a 5 for childrens books.
reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on
Helpful Score: 2
The first book in a wonderful series by Deborah and James Howe. This book is particularly suited for ages 8 to 10 years old and is a good book for those just starting to read chapter books. The plot is hilarious. The cat and dog try to tell their human family that the new pet is a vampire bunny. Lots of play on words and references to vampires. A great book to read with your child.
reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on + 17 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Sweet and funny with interesting personalities (so to speak).
reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on + 302 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
a bunny with fangs and all his adventures.
cathyskye avatar reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on + 2307 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Title: Bunnicula, A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery
Author: Deborah and James Howe
ISBN: 9781416928171/Aladdin Paperbacks
Protagonist: Harold the dog
Setting: the home of a typical American family
KidLit, Series #1
Rating: A

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

Mr. Monroe is a college professor. Mrs. Monroe is a lawyer. They have two young sons, Pete and Toby, a family cat named Chester, and a family dog named Harold. One evening the Monroes go to the theater to see Dracula, and they find a tiny black and white baby bunny in Toby's seat. They bring it home, fix up a very nice cage for it, name it Bunnicula, and think they've just added another pet to the menagerie. But have they done more than that? A few evenings later, Chester the cat discovers Bunnicula sneaking back to his cage from the kitchen. In the morning, Mrs. Monroe finds a very strange-looking white tomato in the refrigerator. Chester becomes convinced that Bunnicula is a vampire, and he won't rest until he's saved his family.

I wish these books had been published when I was a child. I raised rabbits when I was young, and I would've loved these Bunnicula books. Steady, faithful Harold and bookish, paranoid Chester shine in this first book, which made me laugh out loud several times. Fortunately I seem to be going through my second (third?) childhood, because I'm certainly looking forward to the next book in the series!
ChokolatteJedi avatar reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on + 39 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
An adorable book that isn't just for children, the tale of Bunnicula will touch the Dracula-fan in any reader, with not a little monty python-esque humor mixed in.
reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on + 7 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Bunnicula was a fun and witty book. Not in the least bit scary. We read it aloud and the whole family enjoyed it. Plenty of laughs!
reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on + 23 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
cutest and funniest vampire book you'll ever read
reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on + 87 more book reviews
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)--
reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on
Cute story for children.
emeraldfire avatar reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on
The Monroe family is just a typical American family - and still is in many respects. However, little does this normal family realize how much their situation will change by the end of a particularly dark and stormy night. The family pets - Harold the dog and Chester the cat are both spending a quiet night at home, while Mom and Dad Monroe and their two sons - eight-year-old Toby and ten-year-old Pete - are at the movies.

By the time that the Monroes return, they seem to have acquired an unexpected guest - a tiny cute-looking black and white bunny, that the boys found bundled up in the very last row of the movie theater. Obviously, such an innocent, harmless creature only needs a good home and a loving family to care for him. So, the Monroe family decides to take this homeless little waif back with them, and name him Bunnicula, in honor of the movie that they saw: Dracula.

Immediately, Harold and Chester's suspicions are raised. Apparently, all the diabolical signs are there - a seemingly heart-broken mother's message is pinned to the baby rabbit's blanket: "Take good care of my baby" is scrawled in an obscure foreign dialect; strains of exotic violin music echo hauntingly through the night; the desiccated husks of defenseless vegetables litter the Monroes' kitchen floor, although the peculiar bunny shows an obvious aversion to garlic. As Bunnicula slowly settles into his new home and family, Harold and Chester's ultimate mission soon becomes abundantly clear: Beware of the Hare!

The furry duo know that they must do everything within their power to protect the unsuspecting Monroe family from the frightening repercussions of their kindly actions. This well-meaning family has absolutely no inkling of the immense danger in which they have placed themselves. After all, Bunnicula's master plan of domestic domination is stunningly devious for all its quiet simplicity: "Today vegetables...tomorrow the world!" Before it gets too late, Harold and Chester must discover the truth about the newest addition to their household - the suspicious-looking bunny with the mesmerizing eyes and unusual behavior...and fangs!

I've actually read this book once before - when I was approximately ten years old. I had received this book from the Scholastic Book Club during one of the several times a year that the book club sent their newsletter around to all the school districts. The kids in my class were allowed to choose whichever books they wanted to buy, and I was usually the one kid who ended up having the most books stacked up on her desk. I have since lost my copy of this book but wanted to get another copy to keep in my collection.

I found this book to be easy-reading and to be extremely funny, although it seemed to be slightly dated for being written in 1979. I would still give this book an A! I think that I have some of Mr. Howe's books from this series somewhere on my bookshelf.
reviewed Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (Bunnicula, Bk 1) on + 14 more book reviews
Meet harold the dog, chester the cat, and a bunny named Bunnicula.