July 1, 2002
There's nothing like a series to keep kids turning pages. Bunnicula's family is back, and Uncle Harold steps aside to let Howie, the family dachshund, tell all in It Came from Beneath the Bed!, the first in the Tales from the House of Bunnicula series by James Howe, illus. by Brett Helquist. The inaugural adventure finds the doggy fighting off a marauding stuffed animal culled from the clutter. In Book 2, Invasion of the Mind Swappers from Asteroid 6!, Howie must save Delilah from aliens and thwart their plan to take over the planet. With Helquist's illustrations and a tongue-in-cheek note to readers on the back of the book, the unjacketed hardcovers bear a strong resemblance to Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. For Beach Reading...
November 1, 2002
Gr 3-6-Here, Howie writes a story in which his friend Delilah is being turned into a squirrel by aliens from another planet. In alternating chapters, he talks to readers about his writing process, his inspirations for ideas, and his editor's request that he write another book. These entries are delightful. Howie is constantly complaining about his difficulties in writing the book and developing Delilah's character. The story-within-a-story is secondary to the pup's journal. This book is lighthearted fun, illustrated with humorous black-and-white drawings of Howie's and Delilah's experiences.-Wendy S. Carroll, Grant Elementary School, Ridgefield Park, NJ
Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.