Bunny and Clyde:

Bunny and Clyde

by Megan McDonald, Scott Nash (Illustrator)

“The clever plot is anchored by Bunny and Clyde’s Hollywood gangster-speak, tongue-in-cheek dialogue, and groan-worthy puns, all of which will charm young readers. . . . Delightful.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Get ready for a wild ride with Bunny and Clyde! These by-the-rules buddies, a rabbit and a chipmunk, are sick and tired of being good. For once, they want to know what it’s like to be baddies—rotten to the core! They want thrills and excitement! But to get really good at being bad, they’re going to need some experience. What if the dastardly duo started returning library books late on purpose? Or borrowing markers without asking? Everyone knows it’s a swift downhill slide from there—as long as there’s an unprotected piggy bank in town! Unless, of course, their best attempts at mastering bad deeds are strangely misconstrued. Author Megan McDonald brings her quick wit and ear for dialogue, matched by Scott Nash’s deft animal characterizations, to a hilarious caper of criminal intentions gone awry.

Genres: Humor, Animals, Chapter Books, Childrens, Juvenile, Friendship, Fiction

128 pages, Hardcover

Published March 12, 2024

About the author

"Sometimes I think I am Judy Moody," says Megan McDonald, author of the Judy Moody series, the Stink series, and THE SISTERS CLUB. "I'm certainly moody, like she is. Judy has a strong voice and always speaks up for herself. I like that."

For Megan McDonald, being able to speak up for herself wasn't always easy. She grew up as the youngest of five sisters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father, an ironworker, was known to his coworkers as "Little Johnny the Storyteller." Every evening at dinner the McDonalds would gather to talk and tell stories, but Megan McDonald was barely able to get a word in edgewise. "I'm told I began to stutter," she says, leading her mother to give her a notebook so she could start "writing things down."


Critically acclaimed, the Judy Moody books have won numerous awards, ranging from a PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Best Book of the Year to an International Reading Association Children's Choice. "Judy has taken on a life of her own," the author notes, with nearly 3 million Judy Moody books in print. Interestingly, the feisty third-grader is highly popular with boys and girls, making for a strong base of fans who are among Megan McDonald's strongest incentives to keep writing, along with "too many ideas and a little chocolate." And now -- by popular demand -- Judy Moody's little brother, Stink, gets his chance to star in his own adventures! Beginning with STINK: THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING KID, three more stories, and his own encyclopedia, STINK-O-PEDIA, Stink's special style comes through loud and strong -- enhanced by a series of comic strips, drawn by Stink himself, which are sprinkled throughout the first book. About the need for a book all about Stink, Megan McDonald says, "Once, while I was visiting a class full of Judy Moody readers, the kids, many with spiked hair à la Judy's little brother, chanted, 'Stink! Stink! Stink! Stink! Stink!' as I entered the room. In that moment, I knew that Stink had to have a book all his own."


More recently, Megan McDonald has recalled some of her own childhood with the warmth, humor -- and squabbles -- of three spunky sisters in THE SISTERS CLUB.


Megan McDonald and her husband live in Sebastopol, California, with two dogs, two adopted horses, and fifteen wild turkeys that like to hang out on their back porch.

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute children's story about a rabbit and chipmunk who are tired of being good. When they set out to do some "bad" things, the other animals can't help but to perceive them as kind and caring. I finished this in one sitting and recommend it for ages 6-8. It's great for those who are already fans of Megan McDonald. The artwork by Scott Nash works perfectly with the text.

[Sarah BT · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an adorable and hilarious early chapter book about a bunny and a chipmunk who want to be bad. Yet, their ideas of how to be bad aren't quite so bad after all. They end up accidentally helping everyone with their bad deeds.

It's full of puns and classic gangster-style language which may go over the heads of some readers. But it's great for a language study!

There are plenty of illustrations every few pages to break up the text, the chapters are short, and the pace is quick. A fun and silly adventure for beginning chapter book readers.

Plus, there's a librarian who rocks and my favorite line "And someone who works in a library is almost never stumped!" I laughed out loud at that one!

[Meredith Kitts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got an advanced copy of this book at the NCTE Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio last fall. It was a winner and one I will read aloud in years to come! Hoping for more Bunny and Clyde, ultimately!

Read it to my class last week, and they ate it up. The story was clever enough that they didn't guess what was going to happen next, but they could use their deduction skills to figure out some of each caper! I thought the language and text was engaging, with a vocabulary that gave me enough to talk about with the kids. I'm not sure that there is a kid alive who would recognize the Bonnie and Clyde reference, but we talked through it and they "got it" as much as 4 and 5 year olds can!

Characters were well matched to their age, with realistic thoughts and next steps. I would suggest for kids up through second grade!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Bunny, a rabbit, and Clyde, a chipmuck, are tired of being "goodniks" and resolve to be bad. However, they don't know how to do it so they decide to go to the library for information. It takes awhile but eventually they find books on the subject such as The Tale of Two Bad Mice and Interrupting Chicken. Afterwards Bunny and Clyde have a number of adventures doing bad things but somehow they are good things like pulling out flowers, but they are really weeds and toilet papering rose bushes but it ends up protecting the roses from the first frost. This is a gently humorous chapter book for young readers with a kind librarian and lots of references to books. Although I wish Bunny and Clyde had shown some remorse for their actions, things always seem to turn out well for these two and it really is an entertaining story.

[DaNae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess if your name in Bunny and your best friend is named Clyde, and your name is Clyde and your best friend is named Bunny, you have no choice but to go on a crime spree. Pretty cute, even if it follows the same premise as the Infamous Ratso, but I think there is room for both sets of wrong-doers in our Early Chapter Book section.

[Rachel McMahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so cute. I can’t wait to share it with kids

[Shauna Yusko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Series starter. I get the appeal. I have some problems with it, but can see how it’ll be read and appreciated.

[Megan Sanks]

Very cute, loved the old-timey language and the illustrations! Don't know how much kids would appreciate it though.

[Christine Durant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cutest and lots of puns but none of my kids cared at all about it and wanted to stop half way through

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Young friends Bunny and Clyde (who is a chipmunk) do everything they are told, and get a lot of praise for it, but are tired of being good. Even when they are collecting bottle caps and other found items, they are congratulated for picking up trash. Of course, they are tired of this and decide to be "bad to the bone". Since they don't even know HOW to do this, they head to the library to gather resources. There, they ask their friendly librarian for "bad" books; stumped, Rowena takes them to the natural disasters section. Eventually, they find and read books like Bad Kitty, Interrupting Chicken, and The Tale of Two Bad Mice and get their inspiration. They mess up Bunny's room, draw on the walls, and don't even compost an apple core. They even raid Maw-Maw's stash of candy, and fueled by penny candy, start off on their crime spree. After a meeting in their secret clubhouse, they set out to pull flowers from a neighbor's yard. Since they are dandelions, he's pleased with their work. They toilet paper a neighbor's roses... and protect them from a frost at night. They try to scare a friend with a fake spider, but it turns out he needs one for a school project and is touched by their thoughtfulness. They finally decide that the worst thing they can do is to rob a bank, so they make plans and gather supplies. They decide to rob librarian Rowena's piggy bank. Her door is unlocked, so they find the bank and empty out the money, but Rowena returns home. She finds them, and they confess, but Rowena is glad that they were able to get the money out of the bank so that she could spend it without breaking the china pig, and offers them a reward! While Bunny and Clyde weren't all that good at being bad, they had a good day, and get some rest before planning their next adventure.

McDonald, who has also written many Judy and Stink Moody books, teams up with Nash to craft a fun early chapter book that will appeal to young readers who are enthralled with the bad behavior of characters like LaReauand Myers' The Infamous Ratsos. Bunny and Clyde certainly try to be bad, but all of their evil deeds turn into good ones. I'm not exactly sure what kind of message this is supposed to send, but it is amusing to see them thwarted at every turn, and their "crimes" are not horribly bad; they even bring up the fact that Rowena says they can drop by her house any time, and she DID leave the door unlocked.

This is the perfect length for emerging readers, and there is plenty of white space on the page. Nash's illustrations are adorable, and he does a great job of capturing the Depression era vibe of the real Bonnie and Clyde through clothing and backgrounds. I'm not sure how many six year olds know of the crime spree of Parker and Barrow, and they might need to have the concept of "penny candy" explained to them, but this reference will certainly make adult readers chuckle.

Early chapter books with animals as them main characters are an appealing transition between picture books and longer middle grade novels. Bunny and Clyde will be right at home on the shelf beside Clark's Dr. Kitty, Lubner's Drag and Rex, Jarvis' Bear and Bird, and Webb and Willams' Pet Rescue Adventure Series.

While Parker and Barrow were romanticized in the 1960s and 70s, with a song and a movie, but I'm not sure that we necessarily treat evil doers the same way today. Certainly, Bunny and Clyde are not really bad, and this could be a springboard for conversations about how our actions affect others.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bunny and Clyde is a chapter book for kids, written by Megan McDonald, and illustrated by Scott Nash. Bunny and Clyde are friends. Bunny is a rabbit and Clyde is a chipmunk. They’re usually very good. Though, one day, they decide that they want to try being naughty and the concoct some plans to do all sorts of mean-spirited things around the area. For those who don’t understand, the names “Bunny and Clyde” are based on the real life criminals, Bonnie and Clyde. So, the characters in the book are aimed at as a childlike version of a crime spree. Such as toilet papering some roses, pulling some pranks. Stuff like that.

I quite like the book. I think both Bunny and Clyde seem like fun characters. Though, admittedly, they’re not great role models. A lot of their actions are somewhat mean-spirited, even though the characters in the book think of them as favours or positive actions. If a child were to replicate this behaviour in real life, people would not think so highly of them. And I’ll be blunt and say that I wish there had been some sort of writing for them to get “punished” for their actions. Punished is probably the wrong word. But, throughout the book, a lot of their bad behaviour is rewarded and others in the community don’t even realise that the pair are trying to do bad things. And even though their behaviour is still somewhat negative, the book doesn’t show them getting into trouble for it. Such as them littering in the community, by putting the toilet paper over the roses, they received praise. Or when they draw all over the walls at home, I think parents would be particularly annoyed with that; though I don’t think they got into trouble for it. As a book for kids, I think a lot of children would love to give it a read and I’m sure they will adore getting to read about the characters. However, I recommend that parents of the kids, guardians (, etc) have a chat to the readers about the behaviour of these characters and that it’s generally not acceptable to copy such behaviour.

I think the book is written fairly well. I think the author has written a great journey for them and it’s interesting to see the stuff they get up to. My favourite character is Rowena the librarian. She seems so wonderful, and I adore her input to the story. I don’t know if this will ever be turned into a series. But if it is, I would LOVE to read more of these characters and their adventures. I enjoyed this book a lot.

The book is absolutely full of wonderful illustrations. The illustrator has done such a good job with giving fun displays of what’s going on in the text. Both Bunny and Clyde have some great action scenes going on. I love getting to see all the other characters, too. Definitely great artwork!

Overall, I enjoyed it. It was enjoyable to read. I think there ought to have been a little variances in how they were treated for their behaviour, and it would have been nice if there were some “educational” scene so that younger readers can learn that it’s not okay to do those things. However, I appreciate that it had a happy ending. The book is a lot of fun. But, again, some parents, guardians (, etc) might need to have a chat with younger readers about behavioural choices of the characters in the book versus in real life. Just my opinion, though.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bad has never been so bad as this duo does their best to turn their goodie-two-shoes reputation around and slide into the world of crime.

Bunny and Clyde have a reputation of being very good, but they're sick of it. It's time to ditch rules and become as bad as bad can be. The question is how. Since they don't have a clue what truly bad means, they head to the library to find out. After some research, they're ready to lead a life of lawlessness and head out to cause as much trouble as possible. But for some reason, being bad isn't nearly as easy as it seems.

I'm going to start with the illustrations and just say how much I enjoy the depiction of these two. There are slight nods toward the namesakes (love those outfits) for the older audience, but the rest of the scenes stay familiar to readers. They balance with the text to help readers along with the plot and add a wonderful touch to the story.

The tale moves along at a constant pace, offering something exciting during each, short chapter. Bunny and Clyde's escapades tiptoe into trouble, which will have readers amazed at their 'bad' ideas and wondering if the two will really go that far...because some of their ideas will definitely get them into trouble. It's a tantalizing dance along the line between good and evil (age appropriate), which will have eyes widening, frustration hitting when things don't work out, and silent sighs of relief hiding behind smiles.
It fits the audience level nicely with a larger font, appropriate vocabulary, and still an fun tale with surprises.

I'm hoping to get a chance to see what these two might come up with next. I received a DRC through Edelweiss and really enjoyed this adventure.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very entertaining on its face. My 5-year-old enjoyed it, we loved the characters and she thought the story was funny and entertaining. However, I am struggling with how I feel about the message and lesson (or lack thereof). This book explores a natural occurrence among children, which is the impulse to do wrong or be destructive. There is a slight emphasis in the narration on the fact that the characters feel bad when they think that their actions have hurt someone, which I thought was heading in the right direction. But this point is overshadowed by their inadvertent failure to do bad as they discover that, despite their best efforts and intentions, they actually helped their would-be victims. I love the juxtaposition that is presented here and it has so much potential to build up to something that children readers can grasp and learn from, but it falls flat and the characters are rewarded for their behavior since it is perceived that they were trying to help. Other than being the worst villains imaginable, they don’t learn or even self-reflect on how this might have happened or where they should go from here. The rating is because it was entertaining and fun to read and I can acknowledge and acquiesce that not every story has to end with a Mr. Roger’s-style lesson.

[Dest · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was really funny. Most 6-9yo children won't know anything about the historical Bonnie & Clyde and that's probably for the best. Kids will probably guess from context clues that they were famous criminals.

To go off on a li'l tangent: I feel like this book will upset some grown-ups because the main characters genuinely try to do bad things and face no consequences (except having to clean up a mess they make). Generally speaking, in my opinion, the protagonists in children's stories don't have to be role models for young readers. A book can just be entertaining and raise some questions that are best discussed with their caregivers. Here are some questions I'd raise with kids after reading this book: Why do you think some people want to be bad? Does everyone yearn to break the rules sometimes? What would have happened if Bunny and Clyde had actually ruined their friends' gardens? What if they had actually stolen from Rowena? Is it ok to pretend to be "bad" just for fun? What lesson do you think Bunny and Clyde should have learned? What do you think will happen if they keep doing bad things all the time?

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bunny the bunny and Clyde the chipmunk are growing tired with being good all the time, so they head to the local library to read up on how to be bad. With some excellent book knowledge as their starting place, they decide that experience is what's needed to really become expert baddies. They embark on some bad missions but soon find they just aren't very good at it. In one instance they try to toilet paper a neighbor's rose bushes overnight but inadvertently end up protecting the roses from the surprise early frost that would have otherwise killed them. As a last ditch effort to really shed their goodnik reputations, they decide to rob a bank - a piggy bank that is - that belongs to their bird friend Rowena, the librarian. When Rowena catches them red pawed they realize that being bad doesn't feel as good as they thought it would. This is a very cute next step youth novel for kids who are not quite ready to start chapter books. I appreciated the way libraries are featured, and the critical thought process that is demonstrated as Bunny and Clyde try to learn new things and master new skills. Trying to be bad is kind of good!

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

A young rabbit and chipmunk are sick of being good, and of being patronized by benign elderly neighbors. So they decide to scare or destroy or steal the property of their friends. But despite their efforts they only wind up helping. Undeterred the book ends with the pair planning future hijinks. Charming line drawings and a well-written story about rule breaking and yet, my moral heart had a hard time liking this beginning chapter book. I don't ordinarily allow didactic concerns to drive my reviews, but I think most first thru third graders will be uncomfortable. Young kids are usually trying really hard to be good - so stealing from a friend is likely to seem like what it is - just, plain wrong. Most kids cross lines, so showing that is no issue, but failing to show any realistic outcome does seem problematic.
I can imagine this plot being written in such a way it felt ok - but it wasn't. I see Bunny and Clyde losing the regard of their friends and neighbors and I cannot believe in a word where thoroughly toilet-papered rose bushes would be greeted with delight by their owner.

[Barbara Simpson · Rating 1 out of 5]

In this current political climate, is it surprising that the notorious criminals Bonnie and Clyde have been reimagined as Bunny the Rabbit and Clyde the Chipmunk? It seems that children now have more poor role models in this disappointing early reader. I don't see the merit or humor in this story, giving kids the message that it's perfectly acceptable to intentionally make highly questionable choices and end up not being held accountable but instead praised and thanked for their misdeeds. The worst part was the "robbing the bank" scenario. G-d awful! This book sets terrible examples for children. I know other reviewers think this book is cute, adorable, charming, and funny. I may be in the minority with my opinion, but I hope teachers and parents think twice about sharing this book with the children in their lives when there are so many better choices.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for kids who are done with leveled readers but still having a little trouble and are intimidated by the more advanced bricks so common in the Juv. section. There are others at this level, but most that I've seen don't appeal also to the parents and to boys who don't like 'girl books;' this one will. A bit like Bink & Gollie: Best Friends Forever, a bit more like Ivy and Bean.

Four stars because it's so silly (in a good way) and also heartwarming, also I want to read more, also the community average rating needs to go up. :)

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, well done. Reminds me of the Bad Guys series. My main reasoning for not wanting to rate this story higher was the way that it was trying to justify being bad. Whenever Bunny and Clyde did something bad, there were not any consequences, instead their acts were seen as good. And this is a message I just do not think that we should be teaching others, especially young children. As an adult reading it, I enjoyed the take on Bonnie and Clyde, though.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher via Edelweiss. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For more reviews and discussions, listen to my podcast The Honest Book Reviewers with Nate and Emma.

https://open.spotify.com/show/3H3ugH4...

[Brian Paquin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really did enjoy this quick and fun read. However, I thought it strange that Bunny and Clyde never really got in trouble for the "bad" things that they were doing. All the bad things weren't really all that bad and it turned out to be helpful. Their behavior seemed to be rewarded though. Especially the end scene, which I won't mention here, but their intent was definitely not good. Rowena even rewards them! I feel like they should have come clean or at the very least felt a bit guilty, but no. Now as an adult reading this book, I loved it. The clever take on Bonnie and Clyde and the humor was great.

[Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Friends Bunny, a rabbit, and Clyde, a chipmunk, decide that they are tired of being good and want to be bad, so they go to library to find books to help them become bad. They read "Bad Kitty" and "Interrupting Chicken" and decide to reak havoc in their neighborhood, but everytime they do something "bad" it turns out to be a good thing for their neighbor. Their final act is rob a friend's piggy bank but their heist ends with another surprising twist. This is delightful read for newly independent readers who benefit from short chapters and a larger font. Written by Megan McDonald of the Judy Moody series.

[Jill Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juvenile Fiction. Step up Reader. Humorous. Bunny and Clyde are tired of being seen as “good”. They want to be bad, “bad to the bone”, as Clyde repeatedly says. But how does one become bad? First they visit the library and ask the librarian for bad books. They hope to gain insight into badness from these books. They conjure up what they considered bad pranks and tricks to play on neighbors and friends. But their clever attempts backfire. Will they ever be “bad”? Cute and fun illustrations. Would be great as a read aloud. Recommend K-2nd grade.

[Ryan Laferney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best friends Bunny and Clyde—a beret-wearing yellow rabbit and a chipmunk sporting a green blazer—are tired of being good. A funny and transgressive book, with excellent illustrations. This has the makings of a classic. There are complaints that the characters are rewarded for their bad behavior but that's the point. This book is absurd. I don't think Children's Literature needs to be preachy. Not every story needs to instill a moral lesson. Absurdity is enough! Sometimes you can just enjoy a fun and goofy story. And this story is sooooooo fun.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Parts are cute but eh. It’s overly full of puns and figurative language and ole timey gangster references—way too much for the target audience who are going to be lost. Feels like she wrote it for their grandparents.

Watching two good kids try to be bad and accidentally helping is fun to a point but not when there aren’t consequences. They broke into a house to steal money and are rewarded with boatloads of candy. And it’s penny candy from a penny candy store—so relevant to kids born around 2018. :/

[Anastasia Tuckness · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an adult who has been a do-gooder all her life, I found this too true and hilarious. Bunny and Clyde are super strait laced kids who wake up one day and decide to be bad. But it's so hard to not even compost their apple core! Plus, all their "bad deeds" end up doing good. Which is my only reservation--it really does imply that doing bad (and even destructive) things will all work out really well, which is really not the case in real life. Except maybe that's my do-gooder impulse talking.

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful beginning chapter book sure to please kids who enjoy funny stories. But it also teaches positive life lessons (after you get past the fact that Bunny and Clyde want to be bad and all their efforts turn out for good). The humor is there for an adult assisting with the reading as well. Fun homages to bad books (like Interrupting Chicken or Bad Kitty) to frankly, the spin on Bonnie and Clyde.

This would be a fun series should Megan McDonald continue it

[Pam Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

An early reader with chapters and illustrations throughout. I loved the puns throughout the story (many kids will not get, but adults will!) and thought the imaginations of Bunny & Clyde were fun and inventive. I can see some adults having a problem with the "crime spree" aspect of the book but with some discussion it can really turn this book into a great conversation starter while enjoying humor.

[Emmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good kid is a good kid, no matter how hard they try not to be (at least in this book!). Bunny and Clyde want to be bad, so they keep coming up with increasingly "bad" pranks to pull on their friends and neighbors. The only problem is that these keep getting interpreted as good and helpful things. While the joke wasn't always believable, it was still incredibly cute and I had a great time reading it.

[Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved the humor in this one and while the moral lesson is a bit murky, I think many kids will simply think of it as funny because it's so obvious how harmless Bunny & Clyde are and how guilty they feel about their missteps. Thankfully all ends well. Full review here -https://www.instagram.com/p/C4sb8aPo8oB/

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This intermediate chapter book is VERY cute. Kind of a reverse Bad Guys - two very good friends decide that they want to start being bad, but it keeps backfiring for them as their bad deeds keep being accidental good deeds. The illustrations are plenty and charming, the puns are painful, and the references to Bonnie and Clyde abound. Fun.