Wonderful but heart-wrenching story of a lost, loved china bunny, much in the vein of Hitty: Her First Hundred Years, but for a modern audience. ( )

I read this for an older elementary school age book club at work, and liked it a lot more than I expected to. I don't know why I didn't think I'd like it, but it ended up feeling very much like one of those classic books from my childhood -- one of those stories that stays with you long after you've read it. ( )

This novel makes for an outstanding read-aloud for young readers! The novel starts out with a China rabbit whose name is Edward Tulane. He is loved by his first family who owned him-but especially by a little girl named Abeline. The story revealed Edwards thoughts as different events were happening in his life, although he was not alive with characteristics of a human (except thinking and feeling). This story is interesting because of this fact but also because it goes into depth regarding his thoughts and feelings throughout the story. At first, Edward found great distaste for things Abeline would do to Edward and ways in which she would treat him and talk about him. But as the story goes on and he loses Abeline, he encounters various others who take Edward as their own possession. He merely observed and revealed his thoughts, but never could he admit that he loved any of his owners...until the end of the story after he had endeared various traumatic events that brought him to realization that he really did miss Abeline and his other owners and longed for the days when someone would love him again. If reading this to young children, a note might be added that there are some words in which you might want to omit as you are reading, that might not be appropriate for certain age groups. Overall, it is a great read! ( )

Oh golly. Kate DiCamillo always manages to move me in unexpected ways. This children's tale of a rabbit doll who opens his heart to love is just so charming. It's sweet but not saccharine. That is to say, Edward Tulane (a name I'll never forget now lol) goes through some difficult and sad situations, even to the point of despair, but there's light, hope, love, etc in the end. :) ( )

Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
Book on CD performed by Judith Ivey
5*****

I’ve read several books by Kate DiCamillo and even have one signed first edition (The Magician’s Elephant, of course). I’ve had this one on my TBR since it first came out and I heard one of the booksellers at my favorite indie bookstore talking about it. But I’ve just never gotten around to it, until …

I read Ann Patchett’s These Precious Days for my F2F book club meeting and she in which is an essay on reading Kate DiCamillo. Patchett mentions several of DiCamillo’s works, and this is one of them.

Oh, but I loved this modern-day fairy tale! Edward is a china rabbit, hand crafted and meticulously attired. He lives with Abilene and her parents and grandmother in a house on Egypt Street. And he’s treated as the gentleman that he is, spending the days when Abilene is at school sitting on a dining room chair facing the window, so he can see her when she comes back up the walk at the end of the day. And then …

Well, you’ll have to read about his journey yourself.

It’s about compassion, and sorrow and joy. About patience and perseverance and never, ever giving up hope. It’s about love and home and miracles.

I listened to the audio performed by Judith Ivey, who was simply marvelous. But I also had the text handy and found myself carefully studying the glorious illustrations. Each of the twenty-seven chapters has a detailed charcoal sketch representing something that occurs in that chapter; two further sketches open and close the book. And then there are the ten beautiful color prints sprinkled throughout the book. I could just look at them for hours. ( )