Children's Book Review: Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny [ARC]

Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny by John Himmelman, October 28, 2014.128 pages. Published by Henry Holt CO. Source: publisher.

Introducing Isabel, aka Bunjitsu Bunny! She is the BEST bunjitsu artist in her school, and she can throw farther, kick higher, and hit harder than anyone else! But she never hurts another creature . . . unless she has to. This series of brief stories about Isabel's adventures are a beguiling combination of child-friendly scenarios and Eastern wisdom perfect for the youngest readers.

First Sentence:

Isabel was the best bunjitsu artist in her school.

One night, as I was preparing for bed I spotted Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny in one of my many book piles and it just called to be begging to be read...right that moment. It didn't matter that it was one in the morning as I could not resist devouring this entirely amazing children's book. While it did not take me long to read this one, I was hooked from the very first page.

So, what was it about John Himmelman's Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny that drew me in, well, the easy answer is that I loved the message that the story sent to readers and Isabel used her abilities responsibly and never to harm another. Seriously, I really enjoyed watching the way Isabel handled all the situations she found herself in and the way she treated others.
   Other than the little lessons that one could learn while reading this book, what makes it such an interesting read is how everything is handled with a perfect dose of humor. Not too light to sugar coat the story, yet not so heavy that your left snickering over the overly sweetness. It was just a really well balanced book that I'm sure young readers, between the ages of 6 and 8, would love; also, something I'm sure their parents wouldn't mind them reading, too.

While Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny is quite short, at least for me as I was able to read it in 30 minutes, the writing and story will stick with you long after you finish it as John Himmelman's writing is very clear and right to the point. I really  liked what he did with the story and characters and how well things flowed.

Even though the art was not final in my copy, as, it was an advanced review copy, I enjoyed the simple line drawings throughout the book. What I especially liked about the use of simple designs would have to be that the artwork doesn't impede the story, rather, it accompanies it without overshadowing the overall story. The art while subtle goes a long way to showing what is happening throughout the book.

Final Verdict: Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny- Sweet and charming, is what I'd call this book. Definitely one that the younger set (6-8 yrs) would find interesting.

Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny earns

this book was received in exchange for an honest review