Review by Booklist Review
In this follow-up to the well-received Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! (2002), Fleming continues her farcical tale of man against rabbits. Once again, a trio of pesky pufftails disturbs Mr. McGreely. This time, they are intent on sneaking into his cozy home for winter. After finding rabbit fur in his breakfast and on his favorite chair, Mr. McGreely tries everything to keep the bunnies out. He nails up his mail slot and windows, covers his chimney, and finally, after waking up to a pile of droppings on his pillow, bricks in his doors. Barricaded, he settles in for the winter, but when spring comes, he discovers his error: he is blocked in, while bunnies frolic on his warm, green lawn. A few references to Muncha! may lose kids who don't know the first title, and this story isn't as strong and cohesive as the original. Still, Karas' amusing paint-and-pencil illustrations make the most of the slapstick, and the irresistible rhyme and onomatopoeia (Tippy-tippy-tippy, wiggle, through the mail slot. Tippy-jiggle. ) will read-aloud well to a rowdy crowd. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Fleming and Karas bring back the three bunnies that made Mr. McGreely's life so difficult in Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! This time it's winter, and "those wily twitchwhiskers" are seeking warm shelter. "Oh, no," says Mr. McGreely. "I shared my carrots with you, but I'm not sharing my house. Now, hop off, scram, shoo!" Famous last words: despite the man's best efforts to seal up his house (echoing the elaborate defense system he concocted in the original book), the bunnies find a host of ways to gain entry ("Tippy-tippy-tippy, hide!" becomes their refrain). Even more irritating, they always escape by morning-but not before leaving evidence behind (Mr. McGreely wakes up one morning and "instead of his teddy bear next to him, all he found was... bunny drops!"). Karas's freewheeling drawing style deftly keeps the story off-balance and captures Mr. McGreely's descent into comic madness. At the same time, the illustrator evokes the chill and darkness of winter. But as in its predecessor, the real fun is in the text, with its liberal use of onomatopoeia and infectious, percussive prose. Ages 4-8. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-This follow-up to Fleming and Karas's Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! (S & S, 2002) shares many of that title's fine qualities: lighthearted conflict, lively language, and those mischievous, childlike bunnies. With winter coming, Mr. McGreely snuggles up with a good book, but "Knocka-knocka-knocka!," three little rabbits come begging at his door. Since he won't let them in, they sneak in through the mail slot ("Tippy-tippy-tippy, hide!"). Each successive night, as the snow falls and the wind howls, the "pesky pufftails" find a new way to enter. Each morning, the man discovers evidence of their trespassing-footprints on a chair, nose smudges in his tub, even "bunny drops" on his pillow! Yet, despite his ever-expanding search, which is captured in cumulative verses ("over and under,/above and below,/here and there,/high and low"), he cannot find the critters. Sealing up his home with boards and bricks, he triumphantly waits out the season in peace. When spring arrives, it's the bunnies who have the last laugh: they're outside munching flowers while Mr. McGreely is trapped indoors. Done in gouache, acrylic, and loose pencil lines, the folksy artwork is full of changing perspectives and charming detail, and captures all of the action with warmth and humor. Perfect for winter read-alouds, this sassy sequel will please fans of the first book.-Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
The persistent bunnies from Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! are looking for a warm place to spend the winter, while the put-upon Mr. McGreely is determined to make his house rabbit-proof. This humorous battle of wits is relayed through rhythmic repetitive text (complete with sound effects) and illustrated by mixed-media pictures that tell the rest of the story. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The pesky bunny trio from Fleming and Karas's Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! (2002) is back, this time bent on sheltering from winter in Mr. McGreely's cozy abode. Four times the bunnies slip inside, with the exasperated homeowner boarding and bricking up all the entry points. Children will laugh at the patterned wordplay ("Tippy-tippy-tippy, wiggle. / Through the mail slot. / Tippy-jiggle") and souvenir bunny deposits that so infuriate McGreely as his stuff disappears: tail fluff, nose smudges and the inevitable "bunny drops." As spring blossoms scent the air, the bunnies loll outdoors in a nest feathered with an assortment of items pinched from the literally shut-in Mr. M. They make a conciliatory offering--a few flowers plucked from the moody gent's own garden--but he, perhaps foreseeing the looming battle for this year's carrots, is far from mollified. In Karas's mixed-media pictures, the flat slate blues and browns of winter yield to touches of spring green and pink. This pleasant follow-up will rightfully charm many readers, but it lacks the unique verve of its rollicking predecessor. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
