“That looks just like them!” said Mole.
“Now my den is your den, too!” said Isabel.
Mole perched on his comfy mushroom seat and played a happy tune.
Bzzzzz
Isabel watched Dragonfly zipping over a pond. “How did you learn to fly?” she asked.
“It is easy,” said Dragonfly. “You just need four long wings and a long body.”
Bzzzzz … Bumblebee buzzed past.
“She doesn’t have four long wings and a long body,” said Isabel.
“Hmm,” said Dragonfly.
Butterfly landed on a flower below. “You don’t need four long wings and a long body,” she said. “You need four WIDE wings and a TINY body.”
Bzzzzz … Bumblebee buzzed by.
“She doesn’t have four wide wings and a tiny body,” said Isabel.
“Hmm,” said Butterfly.
Raven landed on a branch above. “You don’t need four wide wings and a tiny body,” he said. “You need TWO wings covered in FEATHERS.”
Bzzzzz … Bumblebee buzzed past.
“She doesn’t have two wings covered in feathers,” said Isabel.
“Hmm,” said Raven.
Bzzzzz … Bumblebee buzzed back and forth between the reeds.
“That does not make sense,” said Dragonfly. “Bumblebee has very short wings.”
“And a large, round body,” said Butterfly.
“And no feathers,” said Raven.
“You can’t fly with short wings and a large, round body,” they said.
“Maybe you can,” said Isabel, “if you don’t know you cannot.”
Paper Bunny
Isabel and her friends were making paper animals.
Wendy made a paper goldfish.
Kyle made a paper bear.
Ben made a paper penguin.
Isabel made a paper mouse.
“Who can make a paper bunny?” asked Wendy.
Ben folded a piece of paper. “No, this looks like a frog,” he said.
Kyle folded a piece of paper. “This is a bunny with no ears,” he said.
Wendy folded a piece of paper. “This is ears with no bunny,” she said.
“Isabel,” said Ben, “you are good at this. Will you show us how to make a paper bunny?”
“Yes,” said Isabel. “But I can’t show you now.”
A week went by. “Can you show us how to make a paper bunny?” asked Wendy.
“Yes,” said Isabel. “But I can’t show you now.”
Another week went by. “Now can you show us how to make a paper bunny?” asked Ben.
“Soon,” said Isabel.
One month later, everyone was in Isabel’s room. “NOW can you show us how to make a paper bunny?” they asked.
Isabel took out a piece of paper. Her paws moved quickly. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. She held up a perfect paper bunny!
“You did that so quickly! Why did you make us wait so long?” asked Wendy.
Isabel walked across her room and opened her closet door. Out fell hundreds of practice paper bunnies.
How to Make a Bunny Face
1. Fold a square sheet of paper in half diagonally.
2. Fold triangle in half, make a crease, and unfold.
3. Fold up a little of the bottom.
4. Fold the bottom corners up to the crease.
5. Flip it over.
6. Fold the top backward along the dotted line and tuck it in.
7. Fold the bottom backward along the dotted line and crease.
8. Draw a bunny face!
All Bunjitsu students must do their best to follow the rules of Bunjitsu. If you wish to learn this art, you must read this and sign your name at the bottom.
I promise to:
• Practice my art until I am good at it. And then keep practicing.
• Never start a fight.
• Do all I can to avoid a fight.
• Help those who need me.
• Study the world.
• Learn from those who know more than I do.
• Share what I love.
• Find what makes me laugh, and laugh loudly. And often.
• Make someone smile every day.
• Keep my body strong and healthy.
• Try things that are hard for me to do.
John Himmelman is the author and illustrator of more than seventy-five books for children, including Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny. He is also the author of Chickens to the Rescue and Duck to the Rescue. As a martial arts student and instructor, he has a lot of experience with the human version of bunjitsu. He lives in Connecticut with his artist wife, Betsy.
jch.homestead.com. You can sign up for email updates here.
Also by John Himmelman
Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny
Chickens to the Rescue
Pigs to the Rescue
Cows to the Rescue
Duck to the Rescue
Katie Loves the Kittens
Katie and the Puppy Next Door
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Isabel
Shadows
Bunjitsu Bunny Fails!
Mountain Goat
Just DO It!
One Hundred Squirrels
The Climb
The Chore
Lynx
Your Best Move
Mole Hole
Bzzzzz
Paper Bunny
How to Make a Bunny Face
The Bunjitsu Code
About the Author
Also by John Himmelman
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 by John Himmelman
Henry Holt and Company, LLC
Publishers since 1866
Henry Holt® is a registered trademark of Henry Holt and Company, LLC.
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The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Himmelman, John, author, illustrator.
[Short stories. Selections]
Bunjitsu Bunny’s best move / John Himmelman. — First edition.
pages cm
Sequel to: Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny.
Summary: As Isabel, the best bunjitsu artist in her class, continues to practice her skills, she also grows in her understanding of how to use her strongest weapon—her mind.
ISBN 978-0-8050-9971-3 (hardback) • ISBN 978-0-8050-9973-7 (e-book)
[1. Martial arts—Fiction. 2. Rabbits—Fiction. 3. Animals—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.H5686Bun 2015 [Fic]—dc23 2014047281
eISBN 9780805099737
First hardcover edition 2015
eBook edition October 2015