Creepy-Crawly Birthday

Harold & Chester #4

by James Howe, Jeff Mack (Illustrator)

A creepy-crawly surprise!

Harold the dog, Chester the cat, and Howie the dachshund puppy are excited for Toby's birthday. Because birthdays mean parties, and parties mean presents. And best of all -- cake.

But when the pets find seven suitcases in the room with all of the gifts, they start to worry. What could be inside? Why are there holes in them? And are they...moving?

This is one birthday present that Bunnicula fans will be eager to open!

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Humor

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

James Howe has written more than eighty books in the thirty-plus years he's been writing for young readers. It sometimes confuses people that the author of the humorous Bunnicula series also wrote the dark young adult novel, The Watcher, or such beginning reader series as Pinky and Rex and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award-winning Houndsley and Catina and its sequels. But from the beginning of his career (which came about somewhat by accident after asking himself what kind of vampire a rabbit might make), he has been most interested in letting his imagination take him in whatever direction it cared to. So far, his imagination has led him to picture books, such as I Wish I Were a Butterfly and Brontorina (about a dinosaur who dreams of being a ballerina), mysteries, poetry (in the upcoming Addie on the Inside), and fiction that deals with issues that matter deeply to him. He is especially proud of The Misfits, which inspired national No Name-Calling Week (www.nonamecallingweek.org) and its sequel Totally Joe. He does not know where his imagination will take him in the next thirty-plus years, but he is looking forward to finding out.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Howe can make a birthday party creepy. Harold and the gang are at it one more time. Chester is still convinced Bunnicula is responsible for mischief when he rarely is. The pets create excitement at the party for the kids.

It's a nice tale for beginning readers. If you are a fan of Bunnicula, you will enjoy this. It's a great beginning reader with plenty of action.

A decent little story and last of the series.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another fun book in the Bunnicula and Friends series. Our girls are really enjoying all the books about Bunnicula and his family and we will certainly look for more at our local library. This is an interesting tale about Toby's birthday and the crazy entertainment planned.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

The three pets in this story are worried that their "surprise' that comes from their owners birthday will be seven more new pets and push them out of their standing with their human. But in the end it was a super surprise for them all regardless of their anxiety.

[Damian Diamantino]

is a good boook

[Tiffiny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a level 3 reader. Cute!

[Larry Wegman · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Bunnicula picture book for younger children. OK.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5