Book Review 2

Bibliography

Willems, Mo. 2004. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale. Ill. By Mo Willems.
New York, New York: Hyperion Books. ISBN 0786818700

Plot Summary

In this entertaining, award winning book, artist and illustrator, Mo Willems, tells us about young Trixie’s trip with her dad to the Laundromat. The outing becomes an adventure when Trixie’s beloved Knuffle Bunny is lost and she is unable to communicate this to her father. Trixie’s mom saves the day when she realizes Knuffle Bunny didn’t make it home with dad and Trixie, and dad desperately searches the Laundromat until Knuffle Bunny is found and a happy ending can be experienced by all.

Critical Analysis

Willems’ descriptions of a young child’s attempts to be heard are entertaining and real with Trixie screaming “Aggle Flaggle Klabble” in hopes of being understood and eventually going “boneless” to get her emotions across. Willems’ writing allows his audience to see the world through a child’s eyes and experience the excitement of a walk through the park and the fun associated with loading the washing machine. With short, easy to read sentences, this story lends itself to being read aloud or silently by a young reader.

The illustrations used in Knuffle Bunny are unique to a children’s book. The background consists of realistic black and white photographs of Brooklyn, giving the entire setting a sense of reality. However, characters are drawn using bright colors that jump from the page making Trixie’s trip to the Laundromat an experience outside of the normal black and white normalcy of everyday life. The illustrations give the feel of seeing the mundane, adult tasks through the eyes of a child, and the exaggerated size of the word balloons as Trixie screams “WAAAA” or “Wumby flappy?!” emphasize the distress the loss of Knuffle Bunny is causing her. Trixie and her father’s facial expressions alone make this a great book to look at and make predictions about before reading the words. Willems is that adapt at expressing his characters’ emotions through his drawings.

Review Excerpts
“A seamless and supremely satisfying presentation of art and text.”
School Library Journal

“Willems chronicles this domestic drama with pitch-perfect text and illustrations that boldly depart from the spare formula of his previous books.” Booklist

Connections
*After reading Knuffle Bunny to students, have them write about an item that is special to them and share the reason why. Have them compare their reaction to losing this item with Trixie’s.
*After reading Knuffle Bunny, have junior high or high school students discuss and analyze how the illustrations played a part in the book. Help them transfer this knowledge to books without pictures when analyzing an author’s description and use of setting.
*Read other books by Mo Willems to see how he portrays other characters trying to get what they want. For example, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bust! Have students talk about how they see themselves in these characters’ reactions, and how their responses have matured with their age.
*Read Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity