What makes a classic middle grade book a classic? I know I’ve reviewed some here, such as Watership Down, James and the Giant Peach, The Giver, and Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing. But what makes those books classics and new books, such as Savvy by Ingrid Law, likely to be but not yet classics? I don’t really know, but I think time has something to do with it, which is a crappy deal for writers. Classics are books that have endured over a particular period of time and if you’re an author hoping you’ve written a classic and your name isn’t J.K. Rowling, you may have to wait until you’re much older to find out. Or, like so many greats of literature, your work may go on to be cherished after your death and you’ll never know about it, having died bitter and discouraged in a pauper’s grave cursing God. Bunnicula was written before I was born, but I remember reading it and two of its sequels, The Celery Stalks at Midnight, and Howliday Inn, all in one fevered Halloween weekend. Lo and behold, when I went to the bookstore for my weekly browsing session, I saw they had plenty of copies of Bunnicula for today’s readers = classic.Truth be told, Bunnicula isn’t even that good of a book. I know that statement flies in the face of my review policy and my usual manner of only discussing positive aspects of books here, but I’m feeling feisty and it’s true. When I read Bunnicula as a kid, I didn’t think it was that good and my opinion hasn’t changed much. The writing is so so in places, the characters are uneven, and I would never place Bunnicula on the same shelf as The Witches, a truly classic Halloween read. But I’ve already told you as a child I read the sequels immediately after reading the first book and if I had those sequels here now, I’d probably give them a look.Why? Because what Bunnicula does well, it does better than anyone. It’s fun, it’s funny, and it’s got a concept so clever the thought of it brings a smile to the face of readers everywhere. Actually, the fact that the writing in Bunnicula is so poor in places and yet the book still went on to become a classic warms the hearts of hopeful substandard writers like myself. So what’s Bunnicula all about? A vampire Bunny! Or is he? He is. But maybe not! 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! I totally stole that summary from the back cover, but why reinvent the wheel. Here is the evidence as well as our first examples of uneven characters acting randomly over the top:“Now tell me, Harold, have you notcided anything funny about that rabbit?”“No,” I said, “but I’ve certainly noticed a lot of funny things about you recently.”“Think about it. That rabbit sleeps all day.”“So do I. So do you.”“Furthermore, he’s got funny little sharp teeth.”“So do I. So do you.”“Furthermore, he gets in and out of his cage by himself. What kind of rabbit can do that?”“A smart one,” I said. “I could do it.”“We’re not talking about you, Harold. We’re talking about the rabbit. Now, where did they find him?”“At the movies.”“Yes, but what movie?”“Dracula,” I said, “so?”“So,” he said quickly, “remember the note around his neck? What language was it in?” (how does one say "so" slowly --MGN)“An obscure dialect of the Carpathian mountain region,” I answered smugly. He didn’t know everything.“Ah ha!” Chester said, “but what area of the Caparthian mountain region?”Area? What’s an area? I looked at him blankly. (sort of an obvious concept for a dog familiar with the Caparthian mountain region –MGN)“Transylvania!” he cried triumphantly. “And that proves my point.”“What point? What are we talking about?”“And don’t forget the white tomato! That’s most important of all!”“But , what…”“This book,” said Chester, disregarding me, “tells us just what we need to know.”“What?” I practically screamed. “What does it tell us? What does this book have to do with Bunnicula? What are you talking about? What’s going on here? I can’t stand it anymore!” (***SMACK*** Get hold of yourself, Harold! –MGN)Chester regarded me coolly. “You’re really very excitable, Harold. That’s not good for your blood pressure.”I put my paws around his throat. “Tell me,” I said in a low, threatening voice, “or I’ll squeeze you till you pop.”Whoa. What the heck happened to Harold there? Up until this moment, Harold has been a reasonable dog of fairly considerable intelligence. This is the only moment in the book when he nearly snaps. Otherwise, he and Chester appear to be friends. Why is he so erratic and unpredictable? Not to worry, Esteemed Reader, I have concocted for myself an explanation. Harold is a junkie for chocolate cake and cupcakes, which are discussed throughout the novel, and the use of the word “stash” as well as the nature of Harold’s relationship with his owner tipped me off early:Toby’s a nice kid, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t hurt that he shares his stash with me. It was, after all, at one of those late night parties in Toby’s room that I first developed my taste for chocolate cake. And Toby, noting my preference, has kept me in chocolate cake ever since.Beneath the surface story of a vampire Bunny is the story of a dog suffering a crippling addiction that allows him to write a novel, but not to understand the meaning of complex concepts such as “area.” And Chester the cat doesn’t fair much better. Toward the end of the novel, during his crazed attempts to destroy the vampire bunny whose penchant for sucking the juice from veggies isn’t hurting anyone, Chester reminded me of the extreme members of the conservative right and I sort of wished someone would drive a stake through his heart. I’ll stop being a jerk now. Truly, Esteemed Reader, I don’t know what’s come over me. This may be the snarkiest review I’ve ever written. I like Bunnicula, I do. Mrs. Ninja’s face lit up when she saw I was reading it and I know many readers have very fond memories of the vampire bunny. It’s a good book, it is. It’s just that as a child I always felt patronized by adults who recommended it to me as a scary book. The Witches is a scary book. Bunnicula is a fun book and very good book, but it isn’t scarry. However, as I’m adult now and allowed to read The Walking Dead, I’ll give up this old grudge and embrace Bunnicula for what it is: a good time.It really is a killer concept perfect for the middle grade reader: a vampire bunny that sucks vegetables until they’re white. What child wouldn’t want to read a book about that? What child wouldn’t love to own such a bunny? The problem is how does a writer create a compelling story around a vampire bunny if the bunny isn’t a threat to anyone. A writer could personify the vegetables, which could have made for a much darker, but perhaps also fun story. The Howes have crafted a mystery featuring two non-bunny, non-vampire characters around their vampire bunny. It’s a smart move.And the book is funny. It’s hit and miss in places. As I’ve mentioned, the characters often act in ways only to serve the joke rather than how they might actually act, but the book is very short and the tone allows for these inconsistencies. And Chester the cat trying to pound a “steak” through Bunnicula’s heart will always be hilarious. In fact, near the end of the book, this passage made me laugh so hard I nearly cried. After reading Finding Yourself by Screaming a Lot, Chester has these words of wisdom:"And in order to communicate, Harold, you haveto really be in touch with yourself. Are you in touch with yourself, Harold? Can you look yourself in the mirror and say, 'I know who I am. I am in touch with the me-ness that is me, and I can reach out to the you-ness that is you?"That’s going to do it, Esteemed Reader. To make up for what a jerk I’ve been this review, I will leave you with some of my favorite passages from Bunnicula:Now, most people might call me a mongrel, but I have some pretty fancy bloodlines running through these veins and Russian wolfhound happens to be one of them. Because my family got around a lot, I was able to recognize the language as an obscure dialect of the Carpathian Mountain region."You can keep smelly ol' Harold in your room, and Chester too, if you want to, but I'm going to keep the rabbit in mine."Smelly ol' Harold! I would have bitten his ankle, but I knew he hadn't changed his socks for a week. Smelly, indeed!I feel at this time there are a few things you should know about Chester. He is not your ordinary cat. (But then, I'm not your ordinary dog, since an ordinary dog wouldn't be writing this book, would he?)At first, I thought I could strike up a friendship with Bunnicula and maybe teach him a few tricks. But I could never wake him up. He was always waking up just about sunset, when I wanted to take a snooze. A rabbit, I concluded, is cute to look at, but is generally useless, especially as a companion to dogs.
Amazon lists this as being for ages 9-12, but I was reading it recently as part of my personal growth project. :) Actually, listening to it in the car.I really love the title because Bunnicula sounds cool. I like to put emphasis on the second syllable and kind of draw it out. Bun-NIH-cu-lahhhhh. In a kind of Dracula voice.Harold, the family dog (and story narrator), and Chester, the family cat, live in relative peace and quiet until the arrival of a new bunny the family names Bunnicula - part bunny, part Dracula (because they found him in a theatre showing of a Dracula movie). Chester believes the bunny is a vampire because he sneaks into the kitchen at night and leaves behind white vegetables drained of their nutrients. The rest of the story details Chester's attempts to relate his concerns to his people and to rid the family of the dreaded vampire bunny once and for all.I have a couple of problems with this book. First, Harold regularly eats chocolate cupcakes and chocolate can be toxic for dogs - something a 9-12 year old should really know so they don't feed their own pets chocolate treats (cats are also sensitive to chocolate, as well as to onions).My second issue is that Chester, who is supposed to be very very smart and well-read, who during the course of the book is re-reading Edgar Allan Poe, confuses the word 'stake" with "steak." It's not an issue with Chester, per se, but an issue with the authors, who have the animals say things and do things that contradict one another, like being smart enough to read Edgar Allan Poe but not knowing that you stab a vampire through the heart with a stake and not a steak. It makes for forced-cute moments that aren't all that cute - or funny.Otherwise, it's a cute and funny idea for a book. I really like that Harold is telling the story, and that he and Chester are old friends. I like that Harold and Chester express frustration that their people don't understand them, because I am sure our pets often do feel frustrated at our lack of comprehension of their wants. Would I recommend it to a 9-12 year old as a good read? I don't know. The reviewers on Amazon seem to love it, but perhaps that is because they were introduced to it as children (it was first published in 1979) and have fond memories of reading it, whereas I came by it as an adult and do not find it quite as charming. I did chuckle a few times while listening to it, but more in response to what I consider the "true" moments - how much Harold wants a piece of steak, how cats clean their paws to change an unwanted topic - rather than the ones that I feel were designed to be funny.
What do You think about Bunnicula (2006)?
Howard the Dog and Chester the Cat enjoy living with their humans - Harold especially likes Toby who enjoys feasts that he shares with Harold. So when the family brings home a bunny they name Bunnicula, it isn't surprising that Harold and Chester are a bit jealous of the attention the family focuses on Bunnicula. But Chester's jealousy soon turns into the suspicion that Bunnicula is a vampire. He sets out to prove it - no matter what the cost. Although "Bunnicula" is aimed at readers ages 8 - 12, it is a delightful book for readers of all ages. It is written in the first person from Harold's point of view and it is a lot of fun reading what Harold thinks about the goings on as well as his constant focus on food. Also fun to read is Chester's ongoing battle to prove Bunnicula is a vampire and how his efforts baffle the family who think Chester is just being a cat. Harold and Chester remind me a lot of the Satchel and Bucky characters in the Get Fuzzy comic strip although Chester is not nearly as mean as Bucky. There is a wonderful sense of humor throughout the book and the vampire elements are never scary and played for fun. In fact, I laughed out loud at times especially when Chester tries to steak..er stake Bunnicula. "Bunnicula" (the first of many books in the Bunnicula series) is a delightfully funny book for readers young and old.
—Drebbles
One night the Monroe family is out watching the movie "Dracula" when they happen upon a small rabbit shivering in their son's seat. The family bring him home and introduce him to the rest of their family (Harold the dog and Chester the cat) as Bunnicula. Chester begins to notice a few strange things about Bunnicula (sleeps all day, disappears at night) but it could be all of those books that Chester reads that are making his imagination run wild. Chester is determined to prove that Bunnicula is really a vampire and tries to have Harold help him. At first glance this seems to be the story of a bunny vampire but instead is told from the point of view of Harold the Monroe family dog. A fact my child took pride in stating and made the story more interesting, enough that we are already looking for the next one in the series. This would make a fun read aloud for Halloween and is told in a light hearted manner.
—Brenda
It’s only month #2 of the “books that made me love reading" challenge, and already, I’m noticing a pattern. Last month, I re-reviewed Harold and the Purple Crayon, a book that has had a profound influence on my life. I freely attribute my creativity to the inspiration I received from this happy little picture book, and now I realize that this month’s book, Bunnicula, has had an equally large impact on my life and personality.Bunnicula made me smart. Seriously, it did.Yes, I’m raising serious nature vs. nurture questions here, but the authors Howe & Howe really deserve some credit. They didn’t dumb down their vocabulary to appeal to children, no. They let the big words and the references to classic literary works fly. The authors didn’t say, “Hey, wait a sec here. How are kids supposed to know about Dracula, or Treasure Island, or A Tale of Two Cities?” They said, “Hey, kids probably won’t know about these great books, but maybe after reading Bunnicula, they’ll search them out.”I really respect that about Bunnicula, and frankly, I don’t even remember the huge words being a problem when I was reading it as a kid. Maybe these things are less of an issue than adults think they are, just saying.Okay, so the title of the book clearly refers to our friend, Bunnicula, the vampire bunny wabbit. And the narrator is Harold, a mutt who loves to feast on chocolate cupcakes but never succumbs to their poison. Interesting...Now, who, you ask, who is the star of this tome? Why, Chester, the hair-brained, intellectual pussy cat, of course!I think I probably wanted to marry Chester when I was a little girl. That’s okay to admit, because children often want to marry parents or cartoon characters. Chester is a perfectly acceptable crush, thank you. (I also crushed major on Disney’s Aladdin, but that’s a story for another day.)The reasons why Chester is super dreamy abound. He’s intelligent, well-read, persistent, intuitive, funny, and cuddly. If you didn’t know I was talking about a fictional cat just now, you would probably be like, “Oh, sign me up for some of that!” Don’t lie to yourself, admit it!Sure, Chester isn’t always right about everything. Who is? But it’s fun to watch his misadventures unfold. Flights of fancy are fun, especially when you’re tucked comfortably into your Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sleeping bag with a flash light. Are you understanding who I was as a child now?Bunnicula was a great read for boys and girls alike. I should know, because I detested girly gook. I collected bugs and refused to play with dolls. Bunnicula wasn’t a story about a pampered princess; it was a nitty gritty tale of vegetables in peril. I liked that.Bunnicula was cute while still being terrifyingly ferocious. I’m sorry, Edward Cullen, but I’d take Bunnicula over you ANY DAY!
—Emlyn Chand
