Module 1: Introduction to Children's Literature

Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies 

by Carolyn Crimi

Summary: Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies is about a bunny who loves to read about everything.  His father is a pirate captain who clearly does not see the importance of reading, but Henry is not discouraged, even when the other pirate bunnies make fun of him.  Henry saves the day when there is a shipwreck and Henry uses what he learned in his books to build them shelter, make them food and even show them how to build a new ship out of palm fronds.

My Impression: This book definitely showed children the benefit of reading a variety of books. Second or third graders might be able to appreciate this book the most.    There aren't many words per page, so you could keep the little ones' attention, but some of the meaning would be lost by them.  Older elementary kids would think the book was too childish.  

Reviews:

Author: Lisa S. Schindler
Crimi, Carolyn. Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies. Illus. by John Manders. 2005. Unpaged.
K-Gr 2–Henry is not a typical buccaneer bunny. Instead of performing his proper pirating duties, he would rather read the books that he took from other ships. His father, the captain, is not proud of his son and the rest of the crew makes fun of him. When they are shipwrecked on a deserted island, however, it is Henry and his "book smarts" that save the day. Although the plot is weak, the illustrations are fresh and comical, and send a clear message about the importance of reading.–Lisa S. Schindler, Bethpage Public Library, NY

Author: Todd Morning

Crimi, Carolyn. Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies. Illus. by John Manders. 2005. 40p. Candlewick.

PreS-Gr. 2. As the pirate ship The Salty Carrot sails the high seas, all of the rabbit pirates pitch in to help with the duties except Henry, the captain's son, who prefers to read. After their ship succumbs to a storm, the rabbits find that Henry's trunks of books can act as life rafts, which transport them to a desert island. On land, Henry's vast book learning becomes invaluable, and he provides the rabbit crew with food, shelter, and a means of escape. Manders' watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations are the highlight of this effort. His rabbit pirates have huge buckteeth and look especially comical toward the end of the book, when they are elaborately decked out in eighteenth-century finery, including feathered hats and lace trim. Bookworm Henry is rather stereotypically portrayed with huge glasses hung from a string. A story on the joys and usefulness of reading is nothing new, but the funny Buccaneer Bunnies should provide some interest, even to children who are not inspired by the lesson.--Todd Morning

Library use:  This book could be used at the beginning of the year to inspire students to read a variety of books.  It could be paired with a scavenger hunt to teach the sections of the library or a "genre bingo" contest, where students read books from different genres to complete a bingo board.
Resource List:

Crimi, C. (2005). Henry and the buccaneer bunnies. Cambridge, Ma.: Candlewick Press.

Morning, T. (2005, December 1). Review of the book Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies, by Carolyn Crimi. Booklist,   Retrieved from Literature Resource Center
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA139966876&v=2.1&u=txshracd2679&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w

Schindler, L.S. (2005, November 1). Review of the book Henry and the buccaneer bunnies, by Carolyn Crimi.  School Library Journal.

Illustration of book jacket retrieved from:  http://www.candlewick.com/bookxtras.asp?isbn=0763645400&id=&browse=&view=jacket&jacket=./images/cwp_bookjackets/648/0763645400.jpg&bktitle=Henry+and+the+Buccaneer+Bunnies