Vegetables today…

So, I was originally going to write about some of the books that stuck with me and led me down the horror reader path.

I thought back to my childhood and recalled two books that I really enjoyed. The first was Skeleton Man by Joseph Bruchac. I saw the cover in the Scholastic Book catalogs we got periodically in elementary school. Man, I also miss book fairs. Just that special time to go book shopping during school…

Anyway! Skeleton Man had this creepy cover of a skeletal hand reaching up for someone’s ankle. SHIVERS! Why was there a skeleton man chasing this girl? How was she going to escape? WHAT DID HE WANT? I needed that book. So, I convinced my mom to let me order it.

The second book – the one that derailed and overtook my brain for about a week straight – Bunnicula.

Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe, is a children’s chapter book about a family who finds a baby bunny and keeps him. The family pets, who are telling the story, explain how Bunnicula is more than just a rabbit. He’s a vampire rabbit!

I’m pretty sure this was read to me in class by my teacher. So, a couple decades ago (I feel old and mold).

I had to think back to what the story was actually about. I recalled the other pets, a dog and a cat; Bunnicula being framed as a villain. Was the family gone on vacation? Another pet/animal who snuck in and caused distress to Bunnicula and the others?

There was only one solution. I had to reread it. Or read it for the first time, technically. Whatever.

I borrowed a copy from the library and read it all within a few hours. I mean, it’s a children’s book, so a lot less pages. No need to be impressed. Also, support your local library! More people that engage at the library equals more funds for them!

I forgot quite a bit. The human family, The Monroes, are present the entire time. Mom and Dad have some nice jobs – Lawyer and College teacher, respectively. The most important part, the villain, wasn’t actually there. The cat, Chester, was starving Bunnicula because he was scared of him and trying to protect his family. Fear of the unknown and all that.

Baby Bunnicula just wanted some veggie juice! He wasn’t harming anyone!

Eventually, the family notices that Bunnicula is not doing so hot. He is taken to the vet and gets what he needs. Chester puts up with it. Yay! Happy ending!

But that was just the beginning of the fall. The edition I read was for the 40th anniversary of the book. I didn’t even realize it was that old!

Then! I saw there were six other books in the series! SIX! What!? More Bunnicula!? (Though, based on book covers and descriptions it seems these sequels follow the other animals in the home. Since Bunnicula doesn’t talk like the others. . . BUT! The seventh book has Bunnicula on it directly. So, maybe some hope with that one!)

That’s not all! There’s so much more Bunnicula than I could even imagine! What I came across next was an ABC special that aired in the 1980’s. You better believe I watched that cartoon! And, boy! Was it all over the place! It was definitely a loose following of the book. The special did Mrs. Mondroe dirty though. Instead of a Lawyer, she was just a carer for the two boys. That’s it. Mr. Monroe got a nice job upgrade.

AND! They just find Bunnicula sleeping in a shoe box with some air holes in it. Which is fine, except, THEY LEAVE HIM IN THERE THE ENTIRE TIME! He takes up the whole shoe box! They shouldn’t have this bunny! Some one save him! It’s also revealed that NO ONE WAS FEEDING THE RABBIT! WTF. Someone take away all of their animals!

There’s even more to the short, give it a watch. Even if you’ve never read the book. Then tell me what you thought 😉

As I was searching for the ABC Special, I found videos of an animated series. Which seem to be on Amazon Prime …

THERE’S EIGHT SEASONS!?!?

… OH. They need to be bought or not available to me. HA! Take THAT rabbit hole! I’m not watching eight seasons of a kid’s cartoon!

But I am watching short clips of it on YouTube… Okay, so, I wouldn’t be able to handle even one season of that series, just for what they did to Howard alone. They made him the typical dumb dog. Like EXTRA dumb. No thanks.

The bottom of the hole . . . A musical! (also found on YouTube).

A short forty-minute musical that is SO faithful to the book. Plus some cute songs. Though, the version I watched didn’t have Mr. Monroe in it. I don’t know if he wasn’t part of the original playwriting or if something happened to whoever was playing him, but he wasn’t missed! They also had someone actually play Bunnicula instead of a stuffed animal! AH! I would be born for that role!

PS. Hiding at the bottom was also a graphic novel of the book. It looks so cute. Maybe I’ll get that as a memento.

Overall, the descent down the bunny hole was fun. I love discovering new things about media from my childhood. Even seeing a Bunnicula animated series for kids is nice to see. It’s a great story that should be shared and set the little weirdos like me down a path that we can explore.

What about you guys? Have you read Bunnicula? Gone down your own rabbit hole? Let me know! I’d love to read about it!

…tomorrow the world!