5 Reasons We Can’t Wait for the New Generation to Read Bunnicula

There are many reasons why Bunnicula feels as fresh today as it did forty years ago when it was first published. For one thing, the undead do not age. And neither does Deborah and James Howe’s funny, classic tale of a rabbit whom a jealous cat suspects just might be a vampire. The anniversary edition features a new cover and bonus material: James Howe’s account of how he and his wife came to write Bunnicula during a contest for the silliest vampire story, and tributes to the book by writers including Dav Pilkey and Holly Black. Here are 5 reasons your kids need to read Bunnicula too.

1. Every generation needs its own creepy bunny.

Proud rabbit owners don’t think there’s anything the least bit creepy about their pet of choice, but popular culture begs to differ. From the killer rabbit in Monty Python and the Holy Grail with “a vicious streak a mile wide” who lays waste to King Arthur’s knights, to Frank the Rabbit in Donnie Darko who appears in Donnie’s delusions, to the menacing bunnies in Jordan Peele’s latest movie Us, for some people at least, rabbits have a dark side. Bunnicula’s dark streak is harmless, however, because while he may be a vampire rabbit, he only terrorizes vegetables.

2. Every kid knows that the pets must be up to something.

Have you ever gotten the sense that your household’s pets are watching you and communicating about you amongst themselves? Perhaps even plotting how to get access to their treats without your intervention? Bunnicula, narrated by Harold the dog, is fresh and funny in its depiction of the relationships between Harold, Chester the cat, and the new guy, Bunnicula, whom the youngest son of the family finds one dark and stormy night in a movie theater screening the film Dracula.

3. Anti-vegetable kids will enjoy Bunnicula’s attack on the celery.

When you were a kid, did you ever yearn for some magical intervention that would prevent you from having to eat that load of vegetables piled on your plate? Kids are in for some wish fulfillment with Bunnicula, because the veggies never reach the table before the  bunny with the pattern of a black cape in his fur can drain them of their juices.

4. If kids love Bunnicula, there’s a whole series to sink their teeth into.

The new edition of Bunnicula hits bookstores just in time for summer vacation and beach reading, the perfect season to get kids hooked on a new series. There are seven books in the Bunnicula series. Deborah Howe died of cancer just a few months before the original book was published, but her husband James kept on writing tales of the vampiric rabbit, as well as dozens of other books for children and young adults.

5. Chester the cat is hysterical.

Hysterical in both senses of the word: funny and crazy. Did you ever get the sense that your cat thinks he’s superior to everyone esle? Chester embodies this bold cat ego, with his habit of reading thick tomes every night while his family is asleep. Still, as he becomes obsessed with proving Bunnicula is a vampire bunny, he also gets himself into some pretty fantastically stupid scrapes.