Vegetable Sucker

Bunnicula

by James Howe

Since vampire stories are all the rage right now, I thought it was high time I revisited one of MY favorite vampires of literature. This little guy sneaked into my world many, many summers ago, by way of a summer reading program prize, and I was immediately captivated by him. However, the kind of prey he’s after isn’t of the human kind.

Summary

It is a dark and stormy night (seriously) when we meet Bunnicula. Harold, our narrator and family dog to the X’s (he has changed their names in order to protect their identities), describes a chaotic scene that occurs when his family returns home from the movies with a little package in tow. That package is a small bunny - soon named Bunnicula because he was found at a Dracula movie - who is white with black markings on his back and around his neck, and has a note tied to him written in a foreign language. Harold, having bloodlines that include Russian wolfhound, recognizes an ancient dialect that translates to say “take care of my baby.”

Following the arrival of Bunnicula, Chester, the family cat, begins to notice some strange things about the newest member of the X family. Among these is the fact that it appears Bunnicula can get out of his cage without assistance at night. He also has funny little pointed teeth, and spends all day sleeping. And to top it all off, vegetables are turning up in the kitchen that are completely white, seemingly drained of their juices ...

That’s right, folks. Vampire bunny on the loose!

Harold isn’t worried, but Chester, who is quite the educated cat and has been studying vampires, does everything he can think of to warn the X’s that their newest furry friend is out for blood ... or V8. Poor Harold is left to figure out who's more of a threat - the cute little bunny or his well-meaning friend.

Worth staying up past bedtime?
I probably did every time I read this book! Bunnicula is fun and mysterious. James Howe has a goofy sense of humor, and it translates well to his animal characters. There is a whole Bunnicula series, too! A great read for elementary-aged kiddos who enjoy mysteries and animals.