  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 03/01/2014 PreS-Gr 1—Watch out, Mr. McGreely! The pesky trio of bunnies from Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! (S & S, 2002) are back in this continuing adventure. Mr. McGreely wants to take a beach day to get away from the rabbits. Readers will quickly guess who's going to stow away in the backseat of the car. They even "click, clack, snap" the three seatbelts in the style of imitation onomatopoeia, which peppers the entire story. Admirers of Karas's signature folksy illustrations will not be disappointed with the lively and whimsical depictions of Mr. McGreely being mildly dismayed to find the stowaways have followed him. Once again, he is plagued by a case of bunnies, who have a penchant for turning every pleasurable, mundanely beachy activity, such as shell-finding, into an intense competition, leaving poor McGreely infuriated and outmatched. He tries surfing and sinks as the bunnies sing, "cowa-bunny!" He is losing the sand castle contest and even starts to cry, until the bunnies save the day by lending a hand to the reluctant and downtrodden gardener. All together, bunnies and man work on the epic sand castle until McGreely is declared the winner, finally grinning and exclaiming, "Now THAT… was fun!" Appropriate for read-alouds and beach-themed lessons.—Ellie Lease, Harford County Public Library, MD - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 04/15/2014 Long-suffering Mr. McGreely, first met in Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! (2002), is back, as are the trio of rabbits intent on ruining his peace and quiet. This time, he’s off for a day at the beach, anxious to leave the “pesky pufftails” behind. But the intrepid bunnies stow away in his car, eager to share in the fun. Once there, Mr. McGreely goes about his entertainments, gathering shells, flying a kite, and riding the waves, only to be outdone by the bunnies at every turn. But when it comes time to enter the sand-castle contest, he relents, and, in joining forces, the four are victorious. Fleming’s onomatopoeicslant rhymes (“HUFF PUFF GASP PANT PUFF!”) express the rabbits’ irrepressible enthusiasm, providing a perfect foil for Mr. McGreely’s crotchety intransigence, all of it matched by Karas’ delightful paintings. The final spread shows the group sharing a meal at the Veggie Hut (the prize for the contest) in tentative tranquility, but it would be no surprise to see further antics in another volume of fun. - Copyright 2014 Booklist. Loading...
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