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Title: Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery
ISBN: 0689307004
Author:
Deborah Howe
James Howe
Publicate Date: 1979-03-01
Publish: 1979-03-01
List Price: $16.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $7.06
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.01
Amazon Merchant Price: $11.53
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| Customer Review: |
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1: A great, safe "scary" story for kidsThis tale of a bunny found in a movie theater showing Dracula is as old as I am. But the lov
This tale of a bunny found in a movie theater showing Dracula is as old as I am. But the lovably dumb dog who is the point of view character and his cat friend who is too smart for his own good really seem to connect with kids. This books also has just enough tension to be exciting and enough camp to make the mystery safe rather than scary. Horror fans take note, this is a great starter book for the genre.
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2: It's a vampire bunny. What's not to love?
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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3: Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery
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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4: 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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5: Great book for any age!
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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