Book Review: Wanted! Ralfy Rabbit Book Burglar, by Emily MacKensie

A passion for books has turned into a life of crime for Ralfy Rabbit. In this book, not a conveyor belt of endless carrots could distract Ralfy from what he really wants…books, books and more books, night and day, day and night! He loves books so much he begins sneaking into neighbors’ homes, satiating his appetite with their books, and stealing favorite reads from their shelves on his way out. When Arthur’s favorite book is swiped, Ralfy is caught red-handed (fluffy-tailed). But Arthur realizes the perfect place to reform Ralfy isn’t jail…it’s a library!

After just one read, this book has become one of my favorite books of ALL time. The tale is clever and thoughtfully written by Emily MacKensie, with attention was paid to every detail in the story as well as the illustrations. Parents will chuckle when they see a list of real, famous book titles adapted to become rabbit-friendly titles. The illustrations are fun, colors are vivid and strong, and children will notice all the small but special details in the pictures. The storyline is adorable and makes you wish you’d written it yourself. And it is refreshing to see that Ralfy is not your stereotypical nerd with his nose in the books, but instead, more of a sweet-as-honey but tough-as-nails cool dude (In fact, I would go so far as to compare Ralfy to the coolest, sweetest, toughest character around- The Fonz! Can we get this book made into a Broadway show starring Henry Winkler?)

Ralfy could be any voracious reader whose parents cannot keep up with their apetite for books, my daughter included. On a slow day, we easily read 30+ books. If my daughter ever ends up in jail, I would not be surprised if it was for book thievery! (And if that was the case, I could hardly blame her.) But that is the supreme power of a good book: one great read can make you hungry for more and more and more! Get inspired by Ralfy and head to your local library to read this and other great books, but make sure to pick this one up for your bookshelf – it’s a keeper! You can click the top bookcover of Ralfy for a link to purchase it on Amazon.

Dolly has a mischievous look on her face…. Thinking about pilfering some books, just like Ralfy!

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book from The Guardian (UK) Book Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Title: Wanted! Ralfy Rabbit, Book Burglar
Author: Emily MacKenzie
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Release Date: 2015-03-17
Pages: 32