Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny

by John Himmelman

Overview

This children's series debut introduces a martial arts-loving bunny who "delivers a series of Zen lessons touched with gentle humor" (Kirkus Reviews).
Meet Isabel, aka Bunjitsu Bunny! She is the BEST bunjitsu artist in her school, and she can throw farther, kick higher, and hit harder than anyone else. But she never hurts another creature . . . unless she has to. This series of brief stories about Isabel's adventures combine fun, child-friendly scenarios and Eastern wisdom perfect for the youngest readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780805099720
Publisher:	Holt, Henry & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	05/01/2024
Series:	Bunjitsu Bunny Series , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
Lexile:	520L (what's this?)
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

John Himmelman is the author and illustrator of more than seventy-five books for children, including Chickens to the Rescue, Duck to the Rescue, Katie Loves the Kittens, and Katie and the Puppy Next Door. As a martial arts student and instructor, he has a lot of experience with the human version of bunjitsu. He lives in Connecticut with his artist wife, Betsy.

Read an Excerpt

Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny

---

By John Himmelman

Henry Holt and Company

Copyright © 2014 John Himmelman
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9972-0

---

CHAPTER 1

Introducing Isabel

Isabel was the best bunjitsu artist in her school. She could kick higher than anyone. She could hit harder than anyone. She could throw her classmates farther than anyone.

Some were frightened of her. But Isabel never hurt another creature, unless she had to.

"Bunjitsu is not just about kicking, hitting, and throwing," she said. "It is about finding ways NOT to kick, hit, and throw."

They called her Bunjitsu Bunny.

The Locked Door

One afternoon, Isabel saw her fellow bunjitsu students outside their school. Teacher had left a sign on the door. It read, "Come on in."

"Teacher wants us to go inside," said Max. "But the door is locked."

"It is a test," said Kyle. "He wants us to kick the door open." Kyle kicked the door as hard as he could.

"OW!" he yelped, hopping up and down on one leg.

"No," said Betsy. "He wants us to punch it down with our fists!" They all punched the door with their mighty bunjitsu fists.

"Ow! OW! OOCH! OWEE OWEE OWEE!" they said. The door hadn't moved an inch.

"I have an idea," said Ben. "What's the hardest part of our body?"

"The head," said Wendy.

"Right!" said Ben. "On the count of three, we will all perform the running bunjitsu head butt!"

"One ... two ..."

Suddenly, the door opened. Isabel was on the other side. "Come on in," she said. "Teacher is waiting."

"How did you get in?" asked Betsy.

Isabel pointed to the open window by the door and said, "When the door is locked, go through a window."

(Continues...)

---

Excerpted from Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny by John Himmelman. Copyright © 2014 John Himmelman. Excerpted by permission of Henry Holt and Company.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

---

Table of Contents

Contents

Title Page,
Copyright Notice,
Dedication,
Introducing Isabel,
The Locked Door,
The Pirates,
The Race,
The Challenge,
Lucky Cricket,
Splash!,
Butterfly,
Found,
The Nightmare,
The Wave,
Bearjitsu Bear,
The Rock,
Copyright,

Editorial Reviews

* Cleverly wrapped in an entertaining package, the zen-type morals are edifying but not preachy and serve to genuinely enrich the stories.” —The Horn Book, STARRED REVIEW

“Himmelman simplifies his picture-book style with calligraphic black lines and delivers a series of Zen lessons touched with gentle humor.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Himmelman tells delightful short stories about a little bunny named Isabel, who is mighty in spirit . . . makes for a good read-aloud.” —School Library Journal

“Spare ink illustrations appear on every page, skillfully balancing humor, bunjitsu action, and understated grace. Like Isabel herself, this one's a winner in unexpected ways.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2014-07-16
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)

Kirkus Reviews