ESCAPE FROM THE PALACE

The sequel to The Royal Rabbits of London (2018) picks up six weeks after young Shylo Tawny-Tail left his cozy home in the Warren for bustling London on a quest to foil a plot to harm the queen.

Shylo’s courage has earned him admittance into the legendary secret order of brave bunnies who live under Buckingham Palace in order to protect the royal family from evil-doers. Speaking of evil-doers, those vile, stinky gossipmongers, the Ratzis, are at it again. Their leader, the mysterious Papa Ratzi, has ordered them to find and kidnap Shylo in order to uncover the secrets of the Royal Rabbits. That’s phase one of his nefarious plan. Phase two: embarrass the king and queen and humiliate their ally, the president of the United States of America. You see: The alliance between the United States and England helps keep peace in the world, but peace is a Ratzi’s worst enemy—bad news sells, after all. Can little Shylo prevent catastrophe, or will the Ratzis stop him first? Front- and backmatter include a stylized map of the story’s locales, facts about U.S. presidents and the White House, and a “Which Royal Rabbit Are You?” quiz, all of which complement the book’s tongue-in-cheek fun. Flourishes include the Ratzis’ elaborate tech and Hindley’s amusing illustrations. Readers need not have read the first book, but they’d be doing themselves a disservice by not starting there.

Another whimsical trip down the rabbit hole