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TALES OF BUNJITSU BUNNY by John Himmelman

TALES OF BUNJITSU BUNNY

by John Himmelman ; illustrated by John Himmelman

Pub Date: Oct. 14th, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9970-6
Publisher: Henry Holt

Martial arts high jinks with Bunjitsu Bunny.

Isabel can hit harder, kick higher and throw classmates farther than anyone else. That’s why they call her Bunjitsu Bunny. Some of her classmates at Teacher’s bunjitsu school are scared of her. Isabel tries not to hurt other creatures, though. She says, “Bunjitsu is not just about kicking, hitting, and throwing….It is about finding ways to NOT kick, hit, and throw.” When Bunjitsu Bunny and her fellow students are confronted with a locked classroom door, her classmates try using every bunjitsu move to break it down. They only hurt themselves. Isabel gets in through the window and lets her classmates in through the door. When Jackrabbit challenges her to a fight, she avoids violence (and losing) by not fighting him. But when she has scary nightmares, she can’t sleep. Teacher asks where those nightmares live, and Isabel points to her head. Teacher says the nightmares should be scared living in Bunjitsu Bunny’s head; that does the trick. Himmelman simplifies his picture-book style with calligraphic black lines and delivers a series of Zen lessons touched with gentle humor. Some of the tales will require discussion, but all are easy reading.

Nonviolence (mostly), the bunjitsu way.

(Fantasy. 6-9)