I have to admit when I think of Kate DiCamillo I automatically think of Winn Dixie. It is not only one of the sweetest books that I've come across, but it is also one of the first books a teacher-mentor of mine told me to give to students. It was in my first week of teaching, and he told me that Winn Dixie is one of the easiest books to get kids into--and it's great. He was right (and still is), and now I get to add a new DiCamillo to the list.
Edward Tulane is a meticulous and self-centered china rabbit. One who has been specifically designed for a very well-to-do little girl. Edward's life consists of waiting for his companion to come home, enjoying his fine silk suits, and waiting to watch the stars through the window at night (his eyes are painted open, you see).
Without giving too much away from this lovely, quick read, the journey that Edward embarks on truly teaches the reader about the very nature of love. As he is thrown overboard, found in a garbage heap, taken on the road with a hobo, rocked by a dying girl, and finally broken and rebuilt, Edward begins to truly understand what it means to be loved. Trapped in his form, he struggles to communicate his feelings while being overwhelmed with his own powerlessness, for he is only a china rabbit.
The end of this book leaves the reader longing for another Velveteen Rabbit. If only Edward could become real...and yet we see that the truth of the matter is, we are all created to love each other, in whatever form we are.
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