My Dead Bunny by Sigi Cohen ill James Foley

My dead bunny’s name is Brad;

His odour is extremely bad.

He visits me when I’m in bed,

But Bradley wasn’t always dead …

My dead bunny’s name is Brad;

His odour is extremely bad.

He visits me when I’m in bed,

But Bradley wasn’t always dead …

A boy’s pet rabbit dies in an unfortunate accident and although sad, he buries his pet and thinks that’s the end of Brad the bunny. Not so, Brad returns as a foul-smelling, terror-inducing zombie. His eyes are pink, his fur green, his whiskers crinkled and a worm sprouting from his head. And it seems there is no escaping Bradley. Bradley sends the boy’s sister mad and chases the family from the house. The boy devises a solution, but it may not be the end, it may be the beginning … Illustrations are mostly black and white and a puky-green.

My Dead Bunny is not for little children. If the colours and format don’t cue that, then the terror on the boy’s face should. It’s a small format picture book half-way between gift and classic picture book size. But for children who like a bit of subversion with their reading, My Dead Bunny is spot-on. Full of horror-movie angles and deadpan rhyming text, it will have young and old alike cackling. Hilarious! But don’t give it to your toddler unless you fancy dealing with nightmares. Recommended for zombie-fans of all ages.

My Dead Bunny, Sigi Cohen ill James Foley
  Walker Books Australia 2015
ISBN: 9781922179593

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com