Buns Gone Bad (Fluffle Bunnies, Book #1)

February 19, 2024
According to the narrator—a tough, unnamed moth who speaks with noir-like flair and sports a private detective feeling chapeau—bunny siblings Biggie, Boingy, and Flop “have moved onto bigger, better things” from the hole in the park where they were born. Once the trio was weaned, Mama Fluffle left to become a jujitsu master in Brazil, prompting evil mastermind Flop, cuddle-bun Biggie, and playful, voraciously hungry Boingy to venture out of their burrow alone. As they forage for themselves, the fluffle encounter opportunistic chipmunks, bee stings, and “mean and nasty” dogs. To survive, the rabbits must learn how to navigate the scariest parts of the park, which the narrator describes in titillating detail as the siblings meet a pair of raccoons willing to help—for a price. Dialogue by Humphrey (the Bee and Flea series) swiftly establishes each protagonist’s personality and the stakes of their new situation, while b&w illustrations by Kniivila (Everyday Hero Machine Boy) highlight fluid movement and expressive faces by maintaining close views of the characters and their emotions, even as the bunnies’ world grows ever larger. Together, the creators evoke the Bad Guys in this graphic novel series launch, a clever and compact origin story. Ages 6–9.

March 15, 2024
Rapscallion rabbit siblings take over their neighborhood park. In Canada, a group of baby bunnies is known as a fluffle. The phenomenal fluffle in this graphic novel consists of a trio--Biggie, Boingy, and Flop--whose mother hops off as soon as they're weaned. She heads to Brazil to train as a bunny jujitsu master, and the young rabbits must forge their own way in the world, or at the very least within the bounds of their local park. They have many rivals to contend with, including cheeky chipmunks, sharp-toothed dogs, and a resourceful crew of raccoons. Adorable though they might be, the threesome decide that they'll have to toughen up to get ahead in life, and so their "reign of endearing evil begins." In a bid to usurp park power from the raccoons, the bunnies hatch a devious--and hilarious--plan. A folksy, fedora-clad moth who witnessed the fluffle's rise to power narrates with aplomb. The rabbits' wacky wiles and high-energy humor are reminiscent of Aaron Blabey's snarky, silly Bad Guys series, but the real-world environs of city park life (overflowing trash cans and dingy, shadowy restrooms) offer a uniquely delightful locale in which to encounter these affable antiheroes. The characters' energetic, simplified facial expressions and fast-paced physical comedy amplify the wacky narrative to a charming degree. Absurd animal antics in a familiarly funny setting. (Graphic fiction. 6-9)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2024

Gr 2-5-A park, a public bathroom, and a crabby moth greet readers. The moth offers to tell the tale of the Fluffle Bunnies's descent into badness. That road starts out sweetly with the birth of siblings Flop, Biggie, and Boingy, but Mama soon abandons her brood to pursue her jujitsu career. The naive threesome must now fend for themselves. Food, water, and shelter prove illusive, and a ferocious dog, mean, nest-stealing chipmunks, and girls using the public bathrooms drive the unknowing trio into a covered trash can. There they are captured by two raccoons who confuse Flop's leg for a lucky rabbit foot. The road to deception (and survival) is paved when the siblings promise to grant the gullible raccoons three wishes. Readers will laugh out loud as all the wishes are granted with hilarious outcomes while the bunnies outsmart the racoons. The moth then sets the stage for the next adventure/takeover! Black-and-white illustrations in a variety of panels are used to great effect with plenty of action and loads of funny dialogue. VERDICT Fans of "The Bad Guys'' series by Aaron Blabey will welcome these rascally rabbits in this new series that's ideal for any graphic novel collection.-Elisabeth LeBris

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 19, 2024
Grades 1-4 A fluffle of wild bunnies is born in the park. When they can fend and forage, Mama Fluffle leaves to pursue her dream of becoming a jujitsu expert. As Biggie, Boingy, and Flop begin to explore, they quickly realize that bark beasts (dogs) and sky snacks (bees) are scarier than expected. Worst of all, the chipmunks steal their nest, forcing them to take refuge in a public bathroom before lodging in a trashcan-where they face macho raccoons. Realizing they must rely on their wits, the bunnies work to outsmart their foes and reclaim the park as their home. The bunnies have adorable physical traits and expressive faces. A silly narrator (in the form of a moth) bookends this origin story, the first in a series. An early graphic novel for emerging readers, it has an entertaining plot. Kniivila's grayscale artwork is appealing in its simplicity, varying between panels and splash pages to hold attention. While they're not quite the evil masterminds that the book claims, they're set up to wreak adorable chaos in future books.

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