Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery facts for kids
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| Author | Deborah Howe and James Howe |
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| Illustrator | Alan Daniel |
| Country | United States |
| Series | Bunnicula |
| Genre | Children's novels, humor, mystery, vampire fiction |
| Publisher | Atheneum Books |
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Publication date
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April 1979 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 98 pp. (first edition) |
| ISBN | 9780689307003 |
| OCLC | 680102206 |
| LC Class | PZ7.H836 Bu 1979 |
Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery is a fun children's book written by Deborah Howe and James Howe. Alan Daniel drew the pictures, and Atheneum Books published it in 1979. This book was the very first one in the popular Bunnicula series.
Many people love this story! In fact, the National Education Association listed it as one of the "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children" in 2007. The series follows the adventures of the Monroe family and their three pets: Harold the dog, Chester the cat, and a special rabbit named Bunnicula. Harold, the family dog, is the one who tells all the stories.
Sadly, Deborah Howe passed away in 1978, just before the book came out. So, James Howe wrote all the other books in the series by himself. The book has been printed many times, usually with Alan Daniel's original drawings. James Howe once shared that he thought of "a vampire rabbit named Bunnicula" in the mid-1970s. He believes movies about Dracula gave him the idea. Deborah then suggested he turn it into a children's book.
Contents
What's the Story About?
The story begins with the Monroe family coming home from the movies on a dark and stormy night. The family includes two boys, Pete and Toby. Harold, the family dog, notices they are carrying a small bundle.
The bundle turns out to be a tiny rabbit! They found him at the movie theater. He had a note tied around his neck written in an old language from the Carpathian Mountains. This rabbit also had two tiny fangs and a black pattern on his back that looked like a cape. After talking it over, the family decides to keep him. Since they found him after watching the movie Dracula, they name him Bunnicula.
Strange Things Start Happening
Soon after Bunnicula joins the family, strange things begin to happen. Vegetables around the house mysteriously turn white. Chester, the family cat, notices that each white vegetable has two tiny holes. Chester loves to read, and after reading a book about vampires, he becomes convinced that Bunnicula is a vampire.
Chester points out that Bunnicula sleeps all day. He also seems to get out of his cage by himself. And of course, he has those tiny fangs! Chester believes Bunnicula uses his fangs to suck the juice out of vegetables.
Chester's Wild Ideas
Chester then tries to get Harold to help him prove Bunnicula is a vampire. He puts garlic all over himself and Bunnicula's cage. This only leads to Mrs. Monroe giving Chester a bath!
Later, Chester reads about how to stop vampires. He tries to poke a piece of meat (a steak) through the sleeping rabbit's heart. It doesn't hurt Bunnicula, but it certainly confuses the poor rabbit! Finally, Chester tries to drown Bunnicula by tossing his water dish on him. Because of this behavior, Chester ends up locked outside.
Harold Steps In
As the story continues, Harold refuses to help Chester with his crazy plans. Since Chester isn't talking to him, Harold starts to like Bunnicula more. After a few days, Harold notices that Bunnicula looks sick.
One night, Harold stays up late. He discovers that Chester is putting garlic around Bunnicula's cage. This stops Bunnicula from being able to "feed," which is making the poor rabbit very ill. Harold decides he must do something.
That evening, before Chester wakes up, Harold takes Bunnicula out of his cage. He places Bunnicula in the family's dinner salad. But before the rabbit can eat, Chester chases him away and lands in the salad himself!
The Vet Visit
Finally, Harold has had enough of Chester's behavior. He confronts his friend by barking loudly, which alerts the whole family. At this point, the family decides to take Chester to the vet because of his strange actions. They also decide to take Bunnicula to the vet since he seems unwell.
At the vet, Chester is given "cat therapy" to help with his behavior. Bunnicula is put on a diet of vegetable juice. He loves this new diet so much that the family decides to keep him on it permanently. After this, the mysterious white vegetables stop appearing.
However, the Monroes think the strange white vegetables were caused by a problem at their supermarket. So, they just change stores. The book ends with the Monroes still not knowing about Bunnicula's unique eating habits. They also don't realize the danger Chester thought they were in!
