“Title: Bunnicula
Author: Deborah & James Howe
© 1979
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc
Age Group: 4th – 6th grade
Genre: Modern Fantasy
Bunnicula is a comical, but odd story. The reason I use the word odd is because I really can’t think of any other way to describe it. After finishing the story I just thought to myself, what was that? I thought the relationship between the dog and cat was funny, but odd at the same time. And by the end of the story, I actually felt sorry for the bunny, just like the dog did too. Overall, I do not believe I would use this story in school with my students. I may suggest it as an independent read, but I would not make it a required text. There are many things that make this story a modern fantasy, but I just don’t think using this in the classroom would be the best idea.
The first thing that popped out in my mind that helped this book qualify as a modern fantasy story was the fact that the household pets (Harold the dog and Chester the cat) were able to speak to one another and read books. Johnson compares situations like these to the book Charlotte’s Web, giving animals attributes of human thoughts, feelings, and language. Harold and Chester are defiantly unlike any other pet I have ever seen and their qualities really help to turn this average story about a pet bunny into a story of modern fantasy.
Another aspect of this story that helps to show its level of modern fantasy is the fact that the story has an underlying theme of Good Vs. Evil. Chester believes that there is something weird or dangerous about the new family pet (Bunnicula). He believes that Bunnicula is really a vampire so he tries everything he can to protect the family, or so he thinks. He goes as far as starving the bunny and even trying to kill him. Chester believes that he is good, and Bunnicula is evil. Funny thing is, we never really find out the exact truth in the end. Of course, you can make your assumptions, but it can also be left up to the imagination.
Lastly, the story of Bunnicula brings in the idea of creatures that do not really exist. The idea that vampires really do exist brings this story even more into the genre of modern fantasy. It makes you question reality from make-believe as well as the idea of other worlds or dimensions. All of these ideas put together give this story a low to medium level of fantasy. Bunnicula does not posses all of the motifs of modern fantasy but it provides the reader with just enough to make them question what really goes on in he minds of animals and then question the events in the story, and whether or not they could really happen.”
Deana S wrote this review Sunday, October 5 2008.
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