School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-Henry is not a typical buccaneer bunny. Instead of performing his proper pirating duties, he would rather read the books that he took from other ships. His father, the captain, is not proud of his son and the rest of the crew makes fun of him. When they are shipwrecked on a deserted island, however, it is Henry and his "book smarts" that save the day. Although the plot is weak, the illustrations are fresh and comical, and send a clear message about the importance of reading.-Lisa S. Schindler, Bethpage Public Library, NY Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

In this unsubtle plug for bookworms everywhere, the nerdy offspring of feared pirate Barnacle Black Ear looks up from his compulsive reading to see a bad storm coming, rescues his dad and the rest of the Salty Carrot's crew, then once ashore, quickly fashions a luxurious hut, fancy new outfits, delicious meals and other comforts from found materials—all using knowledge gained from tomes with titles like 101 Things To Do With Palm Fronds and Coconuts . Manders decks out his Chuck Jonesstyle illustrations in bunnies with long floppy ears and big toothy grins, along with a supporting cast of silly-looking seabirds. By the end, even Barnacle Black Ear's come round, bellowing out in oversized type: " Aye! Buccaneer Bunnies will always need books!" A worthy message, even though it's delivered with hull-smashing force, and less convincingly than in Judy Sierra's Wild About Books (2004), illustrated by Marc Brown. (Picture books. 6-8)

ALA Booklist (Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2005)

As the pirate ship The Salty Carrot sails the high seas, all of the rabbit pirates pitch in to help with the duties except Henry, the captain's son, who prefers to read. After their ship succumbs to a storm, the rabbits find that Henry's trunks of books can act as life rafts, which transport them to a desert island. On land, Henry's vast book learning becomes invaluable, and he provides the rabbit crew with food, shelter, and a means of escape. Manders' watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations are the highlight of this effort. His rabbit pirates have huge buckteeth and look especially comical toward the end of the book, when they are elaborately decked out in eighteenth-century finery, including feathered hats and lace trim. Bookworm Henry is rather stereotypically portrayed with huge glasses hung from a string. A story on the joys and usefulness of reading is nothing new, but the funny Buccaneer Bunnies should provide some interest, even to children who are not inspired by the lesson.

Horn Book (Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2006)

Henry, a bookish buccaneer bunny, saves his shipmates after a shipwreck by relying on his book smarts. Despite warm gouache, watercolor, and pencil illustrations studded with humorous adult literary references, this book is predictable and quickly sinks under the weight of its clichéd pirate dialogue.