Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale is a simple story, a story about a little girl named Trixie and her beloved stuffed animal, Knuffle Bunny. Trixie walks with her father to the laundromat where Knuffle Bunny is accidentally mixed-in with the laundry. On the way home, Trixie realizes that Knuffle Bunny is missing but can’t verbalize her problem. She becomes frantic, trying to tell her father about her missing friend but he can’t fathom why Trixie is acting up. Trixie’s mother understands the problem immediately and the family rushes back to the Laundromat where Knuffle Bunny is safe and sound, if a little wet. Trixie, thrilled at being reunited with her beloved friend, speaks her first words, Knuffle Bunny.
The plot line is simple and sweet which will attract parents but the pictures are what will mesmerize children. The book jacket describes the images as a “melding of hand-drawn ink sketches and digital photography” (M. Willems, 2004). The background of each picture is a true black and white photograph taken of real places likes the story’s laundromat. Ink drawings are superimposed overtop of the photographs and filled with bright, attractive colors. The contrast of hard, realistic, black and white images with cartoon-ish, vibrant sketches is striking. The plot and black and white image were quite realistic but the sketches saved the story from being too harsh or too boring for young readers. In fact, I was so attracted to this Caldecott 2005 Honor book that I read its sequel, a 2008 Caldecott Honor book.
Knuffle Bunny: A Case of Mistaken Identity continues the story of Trixie who now speaks continuously and is in preschool. Trixie brings her still beloved Knuffle Bunny to school for show and tell where she discovers the existence of a second Knuffle Bunny! Sonia, a student in Trixie’s class, also owns a Knuffle Bunny (distinguishable only by inner ear color) and the two girls have their bunnies taken away by the teacher. The teacher returns the bunnies but to the wrong owners. Both girls discover the mix-up around 2:30 am, when their loving fathers traipse through the night to restore the bunnies to their rightful girls. The girls, of course, become best friends (Knuffle Bunnies excluded).
The sequel is completed in the same fashion as the first and the images are equally impressive. The storyline is more complex, due to the aging protagonist, but fans of the first book will love the second as well. I love the storyline because I can remember my own Knuffle Bunny—a white bear with a black nose named Snowball, who was purchased on a family vacation from a Cracker Barrel. I don’t remember losing Snowball as Trixie does Knuffle Bunny in the first book but I do recall showing him to friends at school just like Trixie does in the sequel.
Parents will find humor in the plight of Trixie’s father in each book while children will identify with the story of a favorite toy. The universal link of a favorite toy combined with the unique artwork make the Knuffle Bunny books must-have for children’s libraries.
Willems, M. (2004). Knuffle bunny: A cautionary tale. New York: Hyperion.
Willems, M. (2007). Knuffle bunny too: A case of mistaken identity. New York: Hyperion.
The plot line is simple and sweet which will attract parents but the pictures are what will mesmerize children. The book jacket describes the images as a “melding of hand-drawn ink sketches and digital photography” (M. Willems, 2004). The background of each picture is a true black and white photograph taken of real places likes the story’s laundromat. Ink drawings are superimposed overtop of the photographs and filled with bright, attractive colors. The contrast of hard, realistic, black and white images with cartoon-ish, vibrant sketches is striking. The plot and black and white image were quite realistic but the sketches saved the story from being too harsh or too boring for young readers. In fact, I was so attracted to this Caldecott 2005 Honor book that I read its sequel, a 2008 Caldecott Honor book.
Knuffle Bunny: A Case of Mistaken Identity continues the story of Trixie who now speaks continuously and is in preschool. Trixie brings her still beloved Knuffle Bunny to school for show and tell where she discovers the existence of a second Knuffle Bunny! Sonia, a student in Trixie’s class, also owns a Knuffle Bunny (distinguishable only by inner ear color) and the two girls have their bunnies taken away by the teacher. The teacher returns the bunnies but to the wrong owners. Both girls discover the mix-up around 2:30 am, when their loving fathers traipse through the night to restore the bunnies to their rightful girls. The girls, of course, become best friends (Knuffle Bunnies excluded).
The sequel is completed in the same fashion as the first and the images are equally impressive. The storyline is more complex, due to the aging protagonist, but fans of the first book will love the second as well. I love the storyline because I can remember my own Knuffle Bunny—a white bear with a black nose named Snowball, who was purchased on a family vacation from a Cracker Barrel. I don’t remember losing Snowball as Trixie does Knuffle Bunny in the first book but I do recall showing him to friends at school just like Trixie does in the sequel.
Parents will find humor in the plight of Trixie’s father in each book while children will identify with the story of a favorite toy. The universal link of a favorite toy combined with the unique artwork make the Knuffle Bunny books must-have for children’s libraries.
Willems, M. (2004). Knuffle bunny: A cautionary tale. New York: Hyperion.
Willems, M. (2007). Knuffle bunny too: A case of mistaken identity. New York: Hyperion.
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