Surf’s up for a bunch of mischievous bunnies and one frazzled farmer in this beach-time read-aloud adventure by award-winning author Candace Fleming. Mr. McGreely had bunny problems. He had bunnies in his garden. Bunnies in his shed. Bunnies in his cupboard. Bunnies in his…BED! Mr. McGreely has had it with irksome rabbits, so he dons his swimsuit and a pair of goggles and gets ready for some time away at the beach. Little does he know, the bunnies have stowed away in his backseat! He also hadn’t known that the rascally rabbits have mad surfing and kite flying skills. His annoyance is at sunstroke level…until he sees a sign for a sandcastle-making contest, and realizes that teaming up with the pesky pufftails might just have some benefits. From the creators of Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! and Tippy-Tippy-Tippy, Hide! , this read-aloud adventure comes complete with hilarious illustrations, bouncy language, and, of course, the cutest bunnies around. 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 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. Preschool-Grade 3. --Thom Barthelmess Candace Fleming has been honored with both the Margaret A. Edwards Award and the Children’s Literature Legacy Award for her lasting impact on children’s literature. She is the acclaimed author of numerous books for children, including Penny & Pip ; the Bulldozer books; Our Eleanor and Ben Franklin ’ s Almanac , both ALA Notable Books and ALA Best Books for Young Adults; as well as Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! and Sibert Medal honorees The Honeybee and The Giant Squid . She lives in a suburb of Chicago. G. Brian Karas has illustrated many children’s books, including Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! And Tippy-Tippy-Tippy, Hide! by Candace Fleming; Incredible Me by Kathi Appelt; the High-Rise Private Eyes series by Cynthia Rylant; and Ivan by Catherine Applegate, which was a New York Times bestseller. His books have been named ALA Notables, Booklist Editor Choices, SLJ Best Books, and Boston Globe Horn Book Honor books. He lives in upstate New York. Visit him online at GBrianKaras.com.