McDonald, Megan. Bunny and Clyde. Scott Nash, Illus. Candlewick, 03/2024. 128pp. Fiction. Trade $16.99. 978-1-53622-873-1. GRADES Kindergarten–3. OUTSTANDING.
Bunny and Clyde (a rabbit and a chipmunk) are tired of being good, but don’t know how to be bad, so off they go to the library with their “I heart reading” tote to find the “bad” books. Rowena, the bird librarian, sends them to the 551s, but books on hurricanes and tornadoes are not the kind of bad they are looking for. Finally, they find Interrupting Chicken and Bad Kitty who inspire a naughty spree that includes messing up their rooms, writing on walls, stealing toilet paper, and eating too much candy. Ironically, for these wannabe gangsters being bad leads to a series of accidental good deeds. The text is delightfully filled with wordplay and puns that both children and their adults will enjoy. The chapters are short enough to encourage new readers to keep going, and the digitally created pen and ink style illustrations by Scott Nash accompany the text on most pages, adding levity and humor to Bunny and Clyde’s mixed-up, madcap adventures.
Rachael Reiley—Hillcrest Elementary K–8 / Oakland Unified School District