Bunjitsu Bunny Jumps to the Moon Read online

  “Are you comfortable?” asked the bats.

  “Not really,” said the bunny.

  The bats huddled together and whispered to one another. “Bunjitsu Bunny,” they said, “you tried hard to be a good guest. We should try just as hard to be good hosts.”

  Bunjitsu Bunny climbed down to the floor. The bats joined her.

  “Are you comfortable?” asked the bunny.

  “Not really,” said the bats. “But we are happy that you are.”

  The rain stopped. Isabel thanked the bats and left.

  She returned a few days later to visit her new friends. This time, she was prepared to be a good guest.

  “Are you comfortable?” asked the bats.

  “Very,” said the bunny.

  A Promise Is a Promise

  Teacher asked Isabel for a favor. “Will you watch my goldfish while I visit my mother?”

  “I would be happy to,” said Isabel.

  He left his goldfish with her. Then Ben knocked on her door.

  “I am going swimming,” he said. “Would you like to come?”

  Isabel REALLY wanted to go swimming! She looked toward the table.

  “Blub … blub,” went the goldfish.

  “I can’t go,” she said to Ben. “A promise is a promise.”

  Wendy came by later in the day. “My mom is making a clover cake. Come over and have some with me.”

  Isabel REALLY liked clover cake! She looked toward the table.

  “Blub … blub,” went the goldfish.

  “I can’t go,” she said to Wendy. “A promise is a promise.”

  A short time later, Kyle knocked on her door. “We are all playing bunjitsu tag. We need you!”

  Isabel REALLY liked playing bunjitsu tag! She looked toward the table.

  “Blub … blub,” went the goldfish.

  “I can’t go,” she said to Kyle. “A promise is a promise.”

  All of Isabel’s friends were out having fun. She looked at the goldfish. “It is your fault I have to stay home,” she said.

  “Blub … blub,” went the goldfish.

  Teacher returned in the evening to pick up his fish. “Why do you look sad?” he asked Isabel.

  She told him all the things she had missed.

  “Those are all your favorite things,” said Teacher.

  Isabel hung her head. “I should not be sad. A promise is a promise.”

  “I am very proud of my Bunjitsu Bunny. Anyone can keep an easy promise. It takes a very special bunny to keep a hard one.”

  Isabel smiled.

  “Blub … blub,” went the goldfish.

  Somewhere to Nowhere

  Isabel went for a hike in the woods. She wanted an adventure, so she took a path she had never taken before. After a while, the path split in two. Owl dozed where the paths separated.

  “Excuse me, Owl,” said Isabel. “Where does the path on the right take me?”

  Owl opened her eyes. “Nowhere,” she said.

  “How can a path lead nowhere?” asked Isabel. “It has to go somewhere.”

  Owl had returned to her nap. Isabel took the path on the right. An hour later, she was back where she’d started. Owl still dozed where the paths separated.

  “Excuse me again, Owl,” said Isabel. “You were right. The path took me nowhere. Where does the path on the left take me?”

  Owl opened her eyes. “Somewhere,” she said.

  “All paths go somewhere,” said Isabel. Owl had fallen back asleep. Isabel took the path on the left. An hour later, she was back where she’d started. Owl still dozed where the paths separated.

  “Excuse me once again, Owl,” said the bunny. “I did travel somewhere, but the path took me nowhere.”

  Owl opened her eyes. “Where do you want to go?”

  Isabel thought a moment. “I want to go somewhere that is not nowhere,” she said.

  “Well, that would be everywhere,” said Owl. “There is only one way to do that.”

  “How can I go everywhere?” asked Isabel.

  Owl leaned forward and said, “Make your own paths.”

  Isabel smiled. She hopped off the path and headed for everywhere.

  To the Moon!

  Bunjitsu Bunny and her friends looked at the moon.

  “I can almost touch it,” said Ben.

  “It seems so close,” said Wendy.

  “Can you jump to the moon?” they asked Isabel.

  “Maybe,” she said, “but I will need to practice.”

  Bunjitsu Bunny set out to practice every day. One week passed.

  “Let’s see how high you can jump now,” said Kyle. Isabel ran right at him and leapt over his head.

  “That is a very high jump!” said her friends.

  “Not high enough,” said Isabel. “I need more practice.”

  Another week passed.

  “Can you reach the moon now?” asked Wendy.

  Isabel leapt into the air. She sailed over a tall bush!

  “WOW!” said her friends. “No one else can jump that high!”

  “Not high enough,” said Isabel. “I need more practice.”

  Another week passed.

  “You must be able to reach the moon now,” said Ben.

  Isabel leapt into the air.

  “Where did she go?” asked Kyle.

  “Up here,” called Isabel from the top of a tree.

  “How did you do that?” asked her friends.

  “Not high enough,” said Isabel. “I need more practice.”

  After a month had passed, her friends asked again. “Are you ready now?”

  “Maybe,” said Isabel.

  They gathered under the moon. Isabel ran and leapt into the air.

  She jumped very, very high but landed on the ground.

  “Not high enough,” said Isabel. “I need more practice.”

  A month later …

  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.

  About the Author

  John Himmelman is the author and illustrator of more than seventy-five books for children, including two other Bunjitsu Bunny books—Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny and Bunjitsu Bunny’s Best Move. 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. You can sign up for email updates here.

  http://jch.homestead.com/home.html

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  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  Isabel

  The Floating Rabbit

  Bunjitsu Bunny Freezes

  Coyote

  Message in a Bottle

  Follow the Frog

  Karate Crab

  Oh, Thank You!

  Kicking Contest

  Bat Cave

  A Promise Is a Promise

  Somewhere to Nowhere

  To the Moon!

  The Bunjitsu Code


  About the Author

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2016 by John Himmelman

  Henry Holt and Company, LLC

  Publishers since 1866

  Henry Holt® is a registered trademark of Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

  175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010

  mackids.com

  All rights reserved.

  The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

  Names: Himmelman, John, author illustrator.

  Title: Bunjitsu Bunny jumps to the moon / John Himmelman.

  Description: First edition. | New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2016. | Sequel to: Bunjitsu Bunny’s best move. | Summary: Follows Isabel, the best bunjitsu artist in her class, as she makes friends, faces her fears, and more.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2015042696 (print) | LCCN 2016021396 (ebook) | ISBN 9781627797320 (hardback) | ISBN 9781250105363 (ebook)

  Subjects: | CYAC: Martial arts—Fiction. | Rabbits—Fiction. | Animals—Fiction. | BISAC: JUVENILE FICTION / Animals / Rabbits. | JUVENILE FICTION / Sports & Recreation / Martial Arts. | JUVENILE FICTION / Humorous Stories.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.H5686 Brj 2016 (print) | LCC PZ7.H5686 (ebook) | DDC [Fic]—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2015042696

  Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945 ext. 5442 or by e-mail at [email protected].

  eISBN 9781250105363

  First hardcover edition 2016

  eBook edition October 2016