Book Review - Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

 1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Willems, Mo. (2005). Knuffle Bunny: A cautionary tale. Walker Books. ISBN: 9781844280599

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this "cautionary tale" by Mo Willems, he writes the story of Trixie, a young toddler, going to the laundromat with her father. Somewhere along the way, Trixie's prized possession Knuffle Bunny, a stuffed animal rabbit, got lost. He uses comedy to detail Trixie's mix of negative emotions upon realizing Knuffle Bunny is gone and her frustration with being unable to communicate the problem to her father, and wraps it all up with a happy reunion for Trixie. 

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Willems' writing is straightforward with simple sentences made for young readers. Written in the third person, the narrator is depicting a short glimpse into this family's world where a simple errand has gone awry. Willems uses large colorful speech bubbles to insert dialogue highlighting the passion and importance that the main character feels about the issue of losing her beloved stuffed animal. "Baby talk" is used to depict the main character's age and to demonstrate the frustration that she feels about being unable to communicate her needs with her father, making it relatable for all ages. 

Willems' pictures blend real life black and white photographs with cartoon drawings of the characters. This sets the scene in the real world, but allows the illustrator creativity and less boundaries when drawing the family. The brightness of the characters helps them stand out on the pages, and allows the reader to easily see the sadness of the main character, the father's frustration, and the relief of the whole family at the end. At the climax of the book when the father finally realizes what's wrong, Willems shatters the background further emphasizing the release of the build up of the story.

This is a fun book for all ages and is relatable for anyone who has or had a stuffed animal friend that they loved dearly. The main character's frustrations along with the dad's make it a valuable story for parents and children alike and will have everyone rooting for the reunion at the end. 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
2005 Caldecott Honor Book
Association for Library Service to Children - Notable Children's Books (2005)
Starred review in KIRKUS REVIEWS
Starred review on BOOKLIST

5. CONNECTIONS
*Complete the Knuffle Bunny trilogy by reading Knuffle Bunny Too and Knuffle Bunny Free.
*Mo Willems is also author and illustrator of the line of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus collection and the Elephant & Piggie collection, both award winning series. 


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