Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Lord and Lady Bunny - Almost Royalty Audio
Fictyion
For ages 9 to 12
Unabridged audiobook (CD)
Performed/read by: Polly Horvath
Listening Library, 2014 ISBN: 978-0804167109
Usually Madeline’s parents, Flo and Mildred, have no interest in money. They are not planners, their wants are simple, and they prefer to eschew anything to do with mainstream life. Their daughter is quite the opposite. She wants to go to college so that she can do something with her life. She needs money to make this possible, and the fact that her parents have six dollars and twenty-seven cents to their name makes her worry a great deal.
Then one day Flo decides that she wants to buy thirty acres of land that is situated next to their home. They could grow organic produce and sell it at the local farmer’s market. To do this they need thirty thousand dollars so that they can buy the land, which of course they haven’t got. By sheer happenstance, not long after Flo mentions this dream of hers, she gets a letter informing her that her English aunt and uncle have died. Apparently they left Flo and Mildred their sweet shoppe because “Flo and Mildred are the only relatives flaky enough to drop everything and go to England and run our beloved sweet shoppe.”
Aunt Beatrice and Uncle Bert were right about Flo and Mildred. They are flaky enough to drop everything to go to England to run a sweet shoppe, and they are willing to do this because the sweet shoppe is highly profitable and will make it possible for them to raise the thirty thousand dollars they need to buy the land that they want. For a change Madeline is supportive of her one of her parents’ hair-brained schemes because this time she hopes the earnings will help pay her college fees.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Bunny is feeling the need to change her profession. Again. She decides that her dearest wish is to become a queen and she manages to persuade poor Mr. Bunny that they should go to England so that she can fulfill this dream.
Madeline’s parents manage to get a gig on board a cruise ship and soon the three of them, plus Madeline’s friends Katherine, are heading for England. They soon find out that Mr. and Mrs. Bunny and their friend Mrs. Treaclebunny are also on board, and when they get to England both groups of travelers end up in the same part of the country. Flo and Mildred try to make the sweet shoppe a success, and Mrs. Bunny does her best to climb the social ladder. Both the humans and the rabbits soon learn that attaining their dreams is not going to be as easy as they first thought.
In this second Mr. and Mrs. Bunny tale, deliciously funny high jinks unfold as the humans and rabbits in the story stumble their way through yet another adventure. The humor will delight young listeners and adults alike, and it is amusing to see that the author has put herself (as Mrs. Bunny’s translator) into the tale.
