Open this book and you are in for an egg-citing treat. Settle back as you turn the pages of this superb story and rest easy knowing you’re in for a jubilee of enjoyment.

A Rabbit’s Tale offers a wonderfully funny, and at times laugh-out-loud hilarious, story of ingenious twists and turns. The author has assembled a rich cast of characters, sympathetically drawn in the case of hero Juan Arias and dastardly villainous as personified by Monty McPride, who messes things up in grand fashion. The array of humanity in these pages spans the spectrum of likeable to detestable.

The storyline is a roller-coaster ride of humorous flashes of comedy and touching moments of tender pathos. Its many twists and surprises kept me guessing about how seemingly unrelated events would weave together, but Ruiz proved himself to be a gifted storyteller.

I especially enjoyed the story’s outrageous central premise, a leap of fantasy based on a stupendous “what-if.” Juan’s trials and tribulations are those of an everyman, an ordinary and decent fellow who dresses up as the Easter Bunny for a kids’ party and has a medical emergency which catapults the antics into high gear.

In keeping with the Easter themes of death by crucifixion and miraculous resurrection, the author presents episodes in Juan’s life when his plight parallels that of his hero Jesus — times when everything turns dark and bleak, but then by some unexpected plot twist or quirk of character the divine light of hope shines brightly and saves the day.

Highly creative, wildly imaginative, tremendously enjoyable — this tall tale has the makings of a classic.