Ah, the Bunnicula series by James Howe. James Howe and his work were another strong influence on me in my young childhood years. I remember a time when I had only heard of Bunnicula the vampire rabbit. I hadn't gotten my hands on a copy of the book yet. The characters from Bunnicula, however, carried on into many different new adventures and stories, all of them thrilling, suspenseful, or horrifying in some way. Howliday Inn is one of the stories in that series and it was the first one in the series that I read as a child.
Holiday Inn was a book that I won as a prize at the Aurora Public Library summer reading program. Every year I looked forward excitedly to summer, not for running around outside, not for family vacation, but for the long reading sessions in the creepy and macabre library books that I always picked out during the summer reading program. One of the best parts was that we always won a book at the end of the program if we read a quota of books. (For me, meeting the quota was never a problem. Thank you mother for encouraging me to read, even if you hated the scary books I picked up.) Sometimes if we came too late in the season then all the good prize books would be picked over and we would be left with some pitiful excuse for a children's story. All I cared about was that I get a scary book.
One of the years I was shuffling through the box of free books and was beginning to get disappointed. There didn't seem to be any good creepy looking books anywhere in the entirety of the box. I was preparing to succumb and pick some other non-scary book as my prize when my little eyes saw the cover of Howilday Inn. No, it didn't look as scary as some of the Goosebumps covers that I usually read, but it had promise. The frightened cat and dog crouching low beside the iron gate were overshadowed by a creepy Victorian mansion behind. Dark clouds and lighting accompanied the edifice for a creepy effect. I was sold. I picked up the book as my prize and took it home for a read.
Holiday Inn was a book that I won as a prize at the Aurora Public Library summer reading program. Every year I looked forward excitedly to summer, not for running around outside, not for family vacation, but for the long reading sessions in the creepy and macabre library books that I always picked out during the summer reading program. One of the best parts was that we always won a book at the end of the program if we read a quota of books. (For me, meeting the quota was never a problem. Thank you mother for encouraging me to read, even if you hated the scary books I picked up.) Sometimes if we came too late in the season then all the good prize books would be picked over and we would be left with some pitiful excuse for a children's story. All I cared about was that I get a scary book.
One of the years I was shuffling through the box of free books and was beginning to get disappointed. There didn't seem to be any good creepy looking books anywhere in the entirety of the box. I was preparing to succumb and pick some other non-scary book as my prize when my little eyes saw the cover of Howilday Inn. No, it didn't look as scary as some of the Goosebumps covers that I usually read, but it had promise. The frightened cat and dog crouching low beside the iron gate were overshadowed by a creepy Victorian mansion behind. Dark clouds and lighting accompanied the edifice for a creepy effect. I was sold. I picked up the book as my prize and took it home for a read.
There has been multiple editions of the book put out for multiple generations of children to read and enjoy. I remembered reading it as a child and loving it. So recently I decided to pick back up a copy and read it again.
Howliday Inn is a whimsical murder mystery told through the eyes Harold the dog. Harold's family are going on vacation and therefore cannot bring the family pets along. So they drop Harold and his friend Chester, the cat, off at a animal hotel called The Chateau Bow-Wow for a few days. Harold is frightened but tries to remain positive about the experience. Chester on the other hand is nothing but a negative nancy during the ordeal. He complains and whines the entire time. It is only after a short while at the Hotel that a french poodle named Louise goes missing. Chester suspects murder and chooses to investigate the suspects and their motives. Soon Harold is dragged into the ordeal as well for an exciting tale in the macabre.
Now this book is more of a murder mystery than it is a horror story. R.L. Stein's work follows more closely the form of the modern horror story. As a child there was a slight disappointment in that respect. However, I believe strongly that you can't read horror without also reading mystery. I grew up on a heavy diet of late night Mystery programs and Agatha Christie stories, thanks to my mother. It was the fun and dark themes in these stories that led me on my path into the horror genre. Mystery and Horror are close family members in literature and both genres usually have at least a small element of the other in it.
James Howe's writing style brings a creepy atmosphere to the Chateau Bow-Wow while still keeping the light hearted comedy we expect from most children's fiction. Reading it as an adult I quite enjoyed many elements of the story, especially the translation of the usual suspects into the forms of dogs and cats. All the usual elements of love and betrayal and lies were there. It made for a fun read, even as an adult, and that is a mark of a good writer. The author's cleverly placed "Editor's Note" at the beginning of the book is just one example of his clever and witty style that makes the entirety of the book enjoyable.
Howliday Inn is a whimsical murder mystery told through the eyes Harold the dog. Harold's family are going on vacation and therefore cannot bring the family pets along. So they drop Harold and his friend Chester, the cat, off at a animal hotel called The Chateau Bow-Wow for a few days. Harold is frightened but tries to remain positive about the experience. Chester on the other hand is nothing but a negative nancy during the ordeal. He complains and whines the entire time. It is only after a short while at the Hotel that a french poodle named Louise goes missing. Chester suspects murder and chooses to investigate the suspects and their motives. Soon Harold is dragged into the ordeal as well for an exciting tale in the macabre.
Now this book is more of a murder mystery than it is a horror story. R.L. Stein's work follows more closely the form of the modern horror story. As a child there was a slight disappointment in that respect. However, I believe strongly that you can't read horror without also reading mystery. I grew up on a heavy diet of late night Mystery programs and Agatha Christie stories, thanks to my mother. It was the fun and dark themes in these stories that led me on my path into the horror genre. Mystery and Horror are close family members in literature and both genres usually have at least a small element of the other in it.
James Howe's writing style brings a creepy atmosphere to the Chateau Bow-Wow while still keeping the light hearted comedy we expect from most children's fiction. Reading it as an adult I quite enjoyed many elements of the story, especially the translation of the usual suspects into the forms of dogs and cats. All the usual elements of love and betrayal and lies were there. It made for a fun read, even as an adult, and that is a mark of a good writer. The author's cleverly placed "Editor's Note" at the beginning of the book is just one example of his clever and witty style that makes the entirety of the book enjoyable.
Summing it Up
When it comes to light hearted children's books you can't get much better than James Howe. His witty humor and whimsical dialogue make me believe that these animals truly are talking to one another. It also makes it believable that they could commit foul play. A fun and well written little murder mystery for both children and adults. I suspect I may read this one to my children someday when I have them.
Deaths: 0
Language: 0
Gore Factor: 0
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 2
Fun Factor: 5
Overall Rating: 4
Deaths: 0
Language: 0
Gore Factor: 0
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 2
Fun Factor: 5
Overall Rating: 4
To learn more about my rating system click here.