Review: Lord and Lady Bunny - Almost Royalty!

Lord and Lady Bunny - Almost Royalty!
By Polly Horvath, illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Published 2014 by Schwartz & Wade

Madeleine desperately wants to save money for college but, big surprise, her hippie parents are broke. So, when they unexpectedly inherit a sweets shoppe in England, the family sets sail. Never one to miss an adventure, Mrs. Bunny comes along for the trip, dragging Mr. Bunny with her.

Okay, confession: I was looking forward to this book so much that I broke my resolution for the year so I could read it. Yes, I checked it out from the library. I just couldn't resist! I had unexpectedly loved the first book so much that it simply felt too unfair to deprive myself of the sure-to-be-delightful sequel!

Like I said, I was completely taken aback by how much I enjoyed the first book. Talking animals are most decidedly not my thing but there was something oddly charming about Mr. and Mrs. Bunny and their human friends that I completely fell for. Perhaps my enthusiasm for this book was too great, though - for I didn't love it as much as the first. Maybe the oddball charm of the first is something best experienced for the first time - after all, by the second time, you're expecting it, aren't you? Don't get me wrong, I still adored this book, just not quite as much as the first.

I think my disappointment came from the humans storyline. In the first book, Madeleine's parents are missing and she sets out to rescue them, with the help of the intrepid detective Bunnys. In this book, the story of Madeleine and her parents just felt weaker. I found myself eagerly anticipating the next chapter with the Bunnys and their quest for titles and royalty and fame and not caring quite so much about Madeleine and her parents. Perhaps it's partly because her parents have been set up as pretty neglectful people. Perhaps it's just that I adore the Bunnys so. Whatever the reason, I didn't find this book quite as strong as the first.

Regardless, I still enjoyed the book tremendously. It's quite amusing and definitely appealing for the oddball in me. I will be on the lookout for further adventures with the Bunnys!