Bunny and Clyde

Best friends Bunny and Clyde—a beret-wearing yellow rabbit and a chipmunk sporting a green blazer—are tired of being good. Determined to be “bad to the bone,” but at a loss for how to achieve this, they head to the library seeking inspiration. “Bad books” such as Interrupting Chicken and Bad Kitty prompt their first unruly endeavor: messing up Bunny’s room. Though Bunny’s mother insists they clean up their act, the flame of rebellion has been lit, and the duo embark on further ne’er-do-well antics. Still, they can’t help but spread positivity, even in their struggles to spark chaos: an attempt to ruin a neighbor’s cheerful flower bed by pulling up dandelions and their TPing of another neighbor’s rose bushes conjures unexpectedly helpful results and thanks from the unsuspecting victims. A lack of remorse and missing consequences for the pair’s unkind intentions sometimes dampens the effect of this entertaining series kickoff. Nevertheless, Bunny and Clyde’s schemes—facilitated by bouncy, fast-paced plotting from McDonald (the Judy Moody series) and boldly expressive art from Nash (I’m Afraid Your Teddy Is in the Principal’s Office)—prove amusing, and the characters’ independence, alongside their sassy banter, will appeal to young readers. Ages 5–8. (Mar.)