Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery
Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery is a children's novel written by Deborah Howe and James Howe, illustrated by Alan Daniel, and published by Atheneum Books in 1979. It inaugurated the Bunnicula series. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association listed the novel as one of the "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". The series chronicles the adventures of the Monroe family and their pets, Harold the dog, Chester the cat, and Bunnicula the rabbit. The novels are narrated by Harold the family dog.
| Author | Deborah Howe and James Howe |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Alan Daniel |
| Country | United States |
| Series | Bunnicula |
| Genre | Children's novels, humor, mystery, vampire fiction |
| Publisher | Atheneum Books |
Publication date | April 1979 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 98 pp. (first edition) |
| ISBN | 9780689307003 |
| OCLC | 680102206 |
| LC Class | PZ7.H836 Bu 1979 |
Deborah Howe died in June 1978, about ten months before the book was released, and James Howe wrote the sequels alone. It has been reissued numerous times, perhaps all with the original illustrations by Alan Daniel.
According to publisher Simon & Schuster sometime before 2002, James Howe dreamed up "a vampire rabbit named Bunnicula" in the mid-1970s and he thinks he was inspired by "movie versions of Dracula". Deborah suggested that he writes a children's book.