Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1979 |
| Products | Books |
Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery is a children's book authored by Deborah Howe and James Howe, with illustrations by Alan Daniel, first published by Atheneum Books in 1979. This work initiated the Bunnicula series. In a 2007 survey conducted by the National Education Association, it was selected as one of the "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children." The narrative centers on the Monroe family and their pets—Harold the dog, Chester the cat, and Bunnicula the rabbit—with Harold serving as the story’s narrator.
Deborah Howe died in June 1978, approximately ten months prior to the book’s release, leaving James Howe to carry on with the subsequent installments alone. Over time, the novel has seen several reprints, typically preserving Alan Daniel’s original artwork.
Publisher Simon & Schuster reports that James Howe developed the concept of "a vampire rabbit named Bunnicula" during the mid-1970s, drawing inspiration from "movie adaptations of Dracula," while Deborah encouraged him to craft a children’s story based on this idea.
Plot summary
The story begins on a stormy evening as Pete and Toby Monroe return from a movie theater carrying a small package containing a rabbit with two tiny fangs and a distinctive black marking resembling a cape on its back. Attached to the rabbit is a note written in an ancient Carpathian language. The family decides to adopt the rabbit and names him Bunnicula after the film they had watched.
Shortly thereafter, vegetables around the home start turning white with two small puncture marks. Chester, the cat, becomes convinced that Bunnicula is a vampire who feeds on vegetables. Observing Bunnicula’s nocturnal behavior and fangs, Chester recruits Harold’s assistance to validate his suspicions. Their efforts include surrounding Bunnicula’s cage with garlic and attempting to stab him with a meat steak, which only perplexes the rabbit. Chester’s increasingly erratic conduct results in him being confined outdoors.
Harold distances himself from Chester’s schemes and develops an affection for Bunnicula. When Bunnicula’s health appears to deteriorate, Harold uncovers that Chester is sabotaging his meals by placing garlic near his food. Harold tries to help by hiding Bunnicula in the family salad; however, Chester chases him away and accidentally falls into the salad himself. Harold then alerts the family by barking loudly about Chester’s strange actions.
The Monroes take Chester to a veterinarian due to his unusual behavior and bring Bunnicula in for treatment of his illness. Chester receives therapy while Bunnicula is placed on a diet of vegetable juice, which improves his condition. The occurrences of white vegetables cease, though the family attributes this to supply issues at their grocery store and decides to shop elsewhere. The story ends with the Monroes unaware of Bunnicula’s peculiar eating habits or the threat Chester believed he posed.