The Velveteen Rabbit, Final Word

It's no secret that this is one of my favorite books of all time for many reasons--the story, the illustrations, the life lessons, the magic, etc. etc. I know I'm not alone though. This book has been around for 85 years, and I've found glowing reviews about it everywhere. Of course I should mention that I have found a couple of critics, but after all their big words, what they've really had to say is that "it's too sentimental." Ummm...okay. Perhaps I should warn you parents...the rabbit cries once in the book.

This brings me back again to the point I made about The Giving Tree last week. The best books make us feel something and give us something with which we can identify. They show us that we are not the only ones who have the same feelings...whether it's happiness or anger or sadness or loneliness. Tell me what your favorite book is, and I bet it's not one that's void of emotion. The fact is that we're human and our kids are too, and books that show a variety of emotions teach them that it's okay to feel. So, I do agree with the critics, The Velveteen Rabbit is sentimental in that respect, but I don't think it's "too sentimental" whatever that means.

If you're looking for a heartwarming story with some important underlying lessons, I highly recommend this book.

The Velveteen Rabbit, Overview

Fast Facts:

Author: Margery Williams
Illustrator: Don Daily
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Publisher: Courage Bks.; Revised edition (September 24, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0762430230
ISBN-13: 978-0762430239

Overview:
First published in 1922, The Velveteen Rabbit begins with a boy who receives a stuffed rabbit for Christmas. The boy enjoys the rabbit for a little while but then puts it aside for other toys. The rabbit is soon forgotten and placed in the toy cupboard only to be snubbed by the fancier mechanical toys. The rabbit’s only friend is an old shabby Skin Horse who tells him that you become “real” when you are truly loved. One day the boy misplaces his china dog. For the next few seasons, the rabbit never leaves the boy’s side until the boy becomes ill with scarlet fever. When he recovers, he is sent to the seaside and all of his “diseased” toys, including the rabbit, are left to be burned. As the rabbit is waiting to be burned, he sheds a real tear. Suddenly, a magic fairy appears and turns him into a real rabbit.


Impression:
When I was a little girl, I remember reading this story over and over again. The beautiful images, the vivid language, and the magic make this heartwarming story of a little rabbit who only wants to be loved one of my favorite stories of all time. It’s also a great story to put you in the holiday spirit. If you’re looking for a nice story to read with all of your children, I highly recommend The Velveteen Rabbit.


For Parents of Babies and Really Young Little Ones:
I tried to read this to my daughter last night, and she was entranced by the images for a while. Then she tried to rip the pages out. Not a reaction to the book—she’s in the “ripping” phase. She tried to rip the head off one of the characters in an Alice in Wonderland last week. Luckily, I found a number of board book versions of the Velveteen Rabbit on Amazon. Perhaps I will put one on my wish list.

Next Week's Book, The Velveteen Rabbit

This is one of my favorite children's books of all time. I remember reading it over and over again when I was a little girl. Looking forward to hearing what you have to say next week! Have a fantastic weekend!

Favorite Passage:
"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. 'It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real. It doesn't happen all at once. You become. It takes a long time. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."