Napoleon vs. the Bunnies

April 15, 2021
History has never been so fluffy-tailed. Napoleon, soldier, politician, and emperor, has been a source of admiration and derision for generations. Now he's also a source of comedy as readers learn about his infamous rabbit hunt. (Shh! Be vewy, vewy quiet; we're hunting pwimary sources!) The story may be more famous for its internet life than its documented historical accuracy--many of the sources in the bibliography ultimately lead back to Chapter 55 of David G. Chandler's The Campaigns of Napoleon (1966), in which a paragraph notes the amusing tale of the uncaging of an unknown number of tame rabbits before a hunt and the comical aggression of the animals. Sadly, there is no source cited in the bibliography that confirms accuracy. The book follows the plot as it appears in Chandler, with comical full-page illustrations that will easily be seen from the back of a classroom or storytime audience. Gifted storytellers will make the most of the text, playing up the brief moments of dialogue between characters and the narrator. Backmatter continues the "versus" theme by presenting both some of Napoleon's accomplishments and some failures. A glossary provides definitions (but not pronunciations). (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.4-by-18.8-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.) How accurate is the tale? We may never know, but it does make for an enjoyable storytime. (Picture book. 5-8)

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March 15, 2021
Grades K-3 In 1807, the Emperor Napoleon was leading the French army when he signed a treaty with Russia, ending the conflict. He ordered his chief of staff to organize a celebration, including a rabbit hunt. The man did so, but since wild rabbits were difficult to catch in great numbers, he had to settle for hundreds (perhaps thousands!) of domesticated ones. At the celebration, "A horn blew. Cages opened. Bunnies burst forth!" But rather than running away, the rabbits headed toward Napoleon, surrounding him and gazing upwards with adorable "Bunny eyes!" Unnerved, the emperor turned and fled. Historians may consider Waterloo to be Napoleon's greatest loss, the story concludes, but rabbits have a different opinion. Inspired by an incident recorded as a footnote to history, Fox spins an amusing tale in which the fearless military leader faces a battalion of bunnies and panics. The appealing illustrations, drawn in ink and digitally colored, capture the story's drama and humor, which is bolstered by the French and franglais terms used in speech balloons. Historical drama with a comical twist.

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