Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies

by Carolyn Crimi, John Manders (Illustrator)

Overview

"The illustrations are fresh and comical and send a clear message about the importance of reading." —School Library Journal

Step aboard, buccaneers and book lovers! On the Salty Carrot sails a wild, rowdy band of Buccaneer Bunnies, led by Barnacle Black Ear, the baddest bunny brute of all time. His son, Henry, would rather read books than shout "Shiver me timbers!" or make prisoners walk the plank, even if it means swabbing the decks as punishment. But when a crashing, thrashing, bashing wildcat of a storm threatens them all, will Henry and his landlubbin’ library save the day?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536221398
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	05/04/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Lexile:	AD730L (what's this?)
File size:	19 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Carolyn Crimi, AKA the Pirate Queen, is the author of numerous books for young readers, including Boris and Bella, illustrated by Gris Grimly. Of Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies, she says, "While I don't have long floppy ears or a pro-nounced overbite, Henry and I are kindred spirits, who love books and carrots!"

John Manders — thief, pirate, rogue, and children's book artist — has illustrated several books for children, including Minnie's Diner: A Multiplying Menu by Dayle Ann Dodds and Senor Don Gato: A Traditional Song. He says, "I began my nautical career with my faithful parrot, Sherman, plundering merchantman and man-o'-war alike. From piracy, it was a small step to children's book publication." Today John Manders lives in Pennsylvania, far from the ocean's beckoning waves.

“Being an illustrator is like being a movie director: I get to cast all the characters, design the costumes, design the sets, and stage all the action,” says artist John Manders. “I even choose the camera angles!” John Manders was educated at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and later took courses at the School of Visual Arts and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, where he studied children’s illustration, animation, and life drawing. Today he’s a member of the Society of Illustrators, the Society of Children’s Book Writers&Illustrators, and is a founding member of the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators (he was also their first president).

John Manders’ art is featured in more than thirty children’s books and numerous children’s magazines and has been exhibited at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh gallery and the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum. He was honored in the twenty-five-year retrospective of Cricket magazine covers, held at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1999. He is the illustrator of many beloved and award-winning children’s books, including Where’s My Mummy? and Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies, both by Carolyn Crimi; The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend; and Minnie’s Diner by Dayle Ann Dodds. In May 2006 he was named Outstanding Illustrator/Author by the Pennsylvania School Librarian’s Association.

John Manders has an African grey parrot named Sherman who sings, and “a black Lab mix named India who is an expert napper,” he says. “Both pets can be found in my books. Look for Sherman in Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies.” John Manders’s interests include puppetry (which he studied at Syracuse University College) and trying to speak Italian. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Editorial Reviews

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 Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

In this unsubtle plug for bookworms everywhere, the nerdy offspring of feared pirate Barnacle Black Ear looks up from his compulsive reading to see a bad storm coming, rescues his dad and the rest of the Salty Carrot's crew, then once ashore, quickly fashions a luxurious hut, fancy new outfits, delicious meals and other comforts from found materials-all using knowledge gained from tomes with titles like 101 Things To Do With Palm Fronds and Coconuts. Manders decks out his Chuck Jones-style illustrations in bunnies with long floppy ears and big toothy grins, along with a supporting cast of silly-looking seabirds. By the end, even Barnacle Black Ear's come round, bellowing out in oversized type: "Aye! Buccaneer Bunnies will always need books!" A worthy message, even though it's delivered with hull-smashing force, and less convincingly than in Judy Sierra's Wild About Books (2004), illustrated by Marc Brown. (Picture books. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews