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    The Royal Rabbits: The Great Diamond Chase
    The Royal Rabbits: The Great Diamond Chase
    The Royal Rabbits: The Great Diamond Chase
    Ebook144 pages56 minutes

    The Royal Rabbits: The Great Diamond Chase

    By Santa Montefiore and Simon Sebag Montefiore

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    ‘Packed with fun, fantasy and the sort of adventure guaranteed to have sticky little fingers hungrily turning the pages’ The Mail on Sunday
    ‘The Royal Rabbits is sweet, funny and beautifully illustrated' The Times

    Little Shylo Tawny-Tail and the Royal Rabbits of London are back! The adventure continues in this charming series from bestselling authors Santa Montefiore and Simon Sebag Montefiore and illustrator Kate Hindley, that proves even the smallest rabbit can be the biggest hero. 

    Life is an adventure. Anything in the world is possible – by will and by luck, with a moist carrot, a wet noise and a slice of mad courage!

    The biggest, most beautiful diamond in the whole world has been stolen from Buckingham Palace!

    Nobody knows how a sneaky thief managed to take the Siberian Diamond from right under the Queen’s nose – but Shylo and the brave Royal Rabbits of London will do whatever it takes to solve the case and return the jewel to its rightful place.

    Then they discover that Russia's secret-agent minks are in London, could they have something to do with the theft? But nothing is quite what it seems, and the Royal Rabbits soon realise they are going to need a help from an old friend to solve this mystery...
     
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster UK
    Release dateSep 21, 2018
    ISBN9781471171482
    The Royal Rabbits: The Great Diamond Chase
    Author

    Santa Montefiore

    Santa Montefiore’s books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages and have sold more than six million copies in England and Europe. She is the bestselling author of The Temptation of Gracie and the Deverill series, among many others. She is married to writer Simon Sebag Montefiore. They live with their two children, Lily and Sasha, in London. Visit her at SantaMontefiore.co.uk and connect with her on Twitter @SantaMontefiore or on Instagram @SantaMontefioreOfficial. 

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    Reviews for The Royal Rabbits

    3.5/5

    27 ratings5 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Advertised as suitable for 8-12yo, but it's going to be the younger side of that age range that will like this one, and I don't think adults readers of MR books will particularly care for it. I like rabbits (and I like rats too, though too often, as in this book, rats unfortunately are villainous), which is why I bought this one. It's really just too simplistic, though, and I don't plan to bother with subsequent installments to the series.
    • 3/5
      This light book about rabbits who work to protect the Queen of England may work well for advanced readers. While the subject matter should amuse a 2nd or 3rd grader, the length of the book and language is a bit older.
    • 5/5
      I love books about animals. Remember the All Creatures Great and Small series by James Herriot that came began in 1973? If you haven’t read them, do so. They are wonderful. I also love rabbits, so how could I pass up a chance to read a book about a little rabbit that has to wear an eyepatch to help correct his vision?I couldn’t, and I’m glad that I didn’t. This novel, aimed at middle school readers, is adorable and a fun read, even for middle-aged adults.In this first book in the Royal Rabbits series, readers are introduced to Shylo Tawny-Tail, the runt of his litter and Mom’s pet. Shylo has made friends with an elderly rabbit who lives on the other side of the pasture. Horatio, the old rabbit, tells Shylo about the Royal Rabbits, the noble defenders of the royal family, a secret society of rabbits that live beneath Buckingham Palace.On his way to visit Horatio, Shylo encounters his oldest brother, Maximilian. Rather the divulge his secret path, Shylo takes off in a different direction and looks for a low place to hide. He is successful and Maximilian soon tires of chasing him. As he waits to make sure that his brother has truly left, three Ratzis, under the control of Papa Ratzi, amble up the path, making plans to snap photos of the Queen in her nightie and selling it to the tabloids for big bucks.When Shylo finally makes it to Horatio’s burrow and explains what he has just heard…and smelled, Horatio convinces him that the only way to save the Queen from total humiliation is for Shylo to travel to London, find the Royal Rabbits, and alert them to be on guard. Shylo, small and timid, rises to the challenge.What an adventure Shylo has! This is a fun, light-hearted that teaches children about privacy, facing your fears, and being the best bunny that they can be. The Royal Rabbits of London gets 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.
    • 1/5
      If you've come here hoping for your next read of the summer then I'm afraid I have to disappoint you (unless this sounds up your street for some reason). The Royal Rabbits of London by Santa Montefiore & Simon Sebag Montefiore caught my eye because of the fantastic cover illustration of rabbits in various outfits. This is the story of Shylo, an extremely small bunny that is ridiculed and bullied by his peers (and siblings). He gets roped into a bit of intrigue and derring-do which takes him away from all that he has ever known and into the very heart of the Royal Rabbits of London. Much shenanigans ensue especially when they are confronted by Ratzis. I feel like this book was given very little thought or care (except for the illustrations which were really great and liberally padded the story) so it shocked me to learn that this is the first in a series. (Spoiler alert: I won't be reading the others.) It wasn't particularly well-written but would probably appeal to 2nd or 3rd graders who really like rabbits. For me, it was disappointing to say the least. 1/10 only because of those excellent drawings.
    • 4/5
      Children's fiction (short chapter book/poss. family readaloud)

      a fun adventure that reminds one simultaneously of Polly Horvath's Mr. and Mrs. Bunny and Dick King-Smith's Babe.

    Book preview

    The Royal Rabbits - Santa Montefiore

    An alarm screamed and lights flashed! Footmen ran and maids squawked! Royal corgis barked and police in black hurried to the scene! Blue lights flickered . . .

    Buckingham Palace was in uproar!

    But Shylo Tawny-Tail, the smallest of the Royal Rabbits, who was meant to be protecting the palace, was asleep on duty. He heard the faint sound of alarms and shouts in his dream, but didn’t stir. Shylo had made himself a snuggly cocoon up in the velvety pelmet of one of the royal curtains which had made a perfect hammock, and was having a lovely dream about a weak and feeble country bunny who had helped save the Queen of England from a vicious plot by the fearsome Ratzis. As a reward, that small bunny had been invited to join the Royal Rabbits of London, a secret society devoted to protecting the Royal Family and fighting evil across the world.

    Shylo had eaten far too much at lunch – how could he say no to a third helping when cabbage was one of his favourite foods? – and with a belly full of delicious cabbage he’d become very sleepy indeed. So, even though he had only meant to close his eyes for a moment, he had been napping for most of his guard duty . . .

    Now, stirred by all the rumpus, the little rabbit slowly began to wake up. ‘Turn that horrible alarm off,’ he grumbled as the noise made his sensitive ears ache. Then he sat bolt upright and peered down from the curtain with his one good eye (the other, remember, was covered by a red eyepatch to correct his squint). Shylo’s stomach cramped with panic as he watched the manic activity going on through the double doors at the opposite end of the state room. He realized something big had happened.

    From his hiding place in the pelmet, he could see the King and Queen being escorted by police officers into the Diamond Room on the other side of the corridor. Now you may already know that the Crown Jewels are kept under guard at the Tower of London – everyone does! What you may not know is that the Siberian Diamond, being so very valuable, is kept in a special room in the palace, near the Queen’s private apartments.

    Shylo gasped in dismay. Oh no, he thought, ears flopping over his forehead. Not the diamond . . .

    Realizing it was his duty to investigate, he jumped from one pelmet to the next. He paused a moment as more panicking footmen and Secret Service agents ran past, then he slid down the curtain to the floor and hopped across the crimson carpet to hide behind the door frame. He looked across the corridor into the Diamond Room where the full horror of the drama was unfolding.

    The King was scowling; the Queen was frowning; police officers were gravely shaking their heads; the Private Secretary, Sir Marmaduke Scantum, was wringing his hands; Lady Araminta Fortescue, the Queen’s lady-in-waiting, was pointing . . . Shylo looked in the direction of her finger and finally saw what the commotion was all about. A display case stood surrounded by shattered glass; a small cushion in the centre lay empty . . . the Siberian Diamond was GONE!

    Shylo blinked. Surely he was still dreaming. He hoped to the Great Rabbit in the sky that he was and he pinched himself just to make sure.

    Ooooh! That hurt!

    He wasn’t dreaming. Someone had crept in and stolen the famous Siberian Diamond and he had been asleep the whole time . . .

    The Siberian Diamond, dear reader, was not just any diamond, it was the biggest, most beautiful one in the whole world, and the Queen’s favourite jewel. However, it wasn’t her favourite because of its size or value, but because of something far more extraordinary. You see, the gem was flawed, which meant it had many lines and waves and scratches inside, and when people stared into it they might see mountains, or rivers, or ships on the sea in the imperfections, the same way that you can make shapes out of clouds.

    What no one knew, not even the Royal Rabbits, was that every time the Queen looked into the diamond, which she did whenever she felt a little weary, she would see a simple cottage, in the middle of a wood, and herself in the garden there, clipping the roses and enjoying the bees like an ordinary woman living an ordinary life. The sight soothed her and made her feel happy, momentarily taking her away from the often tiring life of duty and service (being Queen is not only about riding in a carriage and wearing a crown).

    Once a year, on the first of May, the Queen allowed the Siberian Diamond to be taken to the Tower of London and put on display for one week only. Thousands of people queued up just to admire the beautiful jewel in its bullet-proof glass case, which, supposedly, made it impossible to steal. It was kept in a similar case at the palace, and was thought to be safe, but even unsinkable ships sometimes sink, and now Shylo realized that unstealable diamonds could be stolen too.

    He watched with sadness as the Queen started to weep and the King went to comfort her. Shylo’s ears drooped with guilt, his heart filling with shame that he had been sleeping while this outrageous robbery had taken place. It was all his fault. How he wished he could turn back the clock! He was so overcome that he didn’t hear the growling of the Pack, the Queen’s corgis, who had spotted the little rabbit and were slowly sneaking up on him. The Pack liked nothing more than fat, juicy rabbits, but even a scrawny, bony rabbit like Shylo was worth chasing.

    Suddenly, Shylo got a whiff of dog – not only did he have sensitive ears, but (luckily) a highly sensitive nose as well. He looked down the corridor and spotted the fearsome corgis advancing.

    He glanced around quickly, trying to work out an escape route. The hidden entrance to the secret network of tunnels beneath the palace was on the other side of the corridor, which was both wide and exposed. But what choice did he have? He could scamper back up into the pelmet because the dogs wouldn’t be able to climb the curtain after him, but this was no time to hide: he had to return to The Grand Burrow at once and inform the Royal Rabbits of the robbery.

    Shylo glanced back at the weeping Queen. The sorry sight gave him a rapid surge of courage, like a fire in his belly (where the cabbages had been). He held his breath and dashed into the corridor. The Pack were now very close indeed and he froze in terror for a moment at the sight of the ferocious dogs. Messalina, their yellowed-fanged leader, curled her lip and growled. Then she quickened her pace. With his heart in his mouth, Shylo darted across the carpet towards the potted plant that concealed the secret tunnel entrance.

    The dogs were almost upon him. He could feel their breath on his fur. With a shaky paw, he reached behind the plant and pushed a hidden panel in the skirting board. The door opened and Shylo fell into the

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