Knuffle Bunny
Genre: Children's Picture Book / Hardcover
Bibliographic Citation: Willems, Mo. (2004). Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Summary: Trixie, a delightfully-expressive toddler (without formal language), goes on an errand with her Daddy to the Laundromat. She accidentally leaves her favorite stuffed animal behind. The situation becomes increasingly dire, and both father & daughter become increasingly frustrated, as Trixie attempts to convey the seriousness of what's happened on the walk home. Upon arrival, Trixie's mother immediately notices the missing companion & they all rush back through the city to reclaim their lost family member. When the two are reunited, Trixie proclaims BFF's name in a burst of unbridled joy, thereby speaking her first words: "Knuffle Bunny!"
Personal Comments: First, I'd like to draw your attention to the asterisk accompanying this page's title: "Favorite Picture Book*." It's nearly as difficult to choose one's Favorite Picture Book as it is to choose one's Favorite Book! Knuffle Bunny isn't my absolute, hands-down, battle to the death, Favorite Picture Book of All Time (it's like the opposite of Highlander: in this instance, there can only be a Top 10, at the very least), but it's definitely one of my favorite read-alouds...which is close enough.
The reasons I love Knuffle Bunny are legion but I'll narrow them down to three main categories:
1) Illustration Style
2) Performative Potential
3) Diversity
1) Illustration Style: The illustrations in Knuffle Bunny aren't just good; they're so good that Mo Willems won a Caldecott Honor for them in 2005 to recognize his brilliance. The art is a mixed-media combination of Willems' simple yet emotive cartoons (hand-drawn ink sketches) with actual, sepia-toned digital photography depicting the streets of Brooklyn. This combination creates a wealth of visual interest. It's uncommon enough that kids' curiosity is naturally piqued and they're eager to discuss the art without any prompting.
Adults may also notice Willems' expert use of line & shape. At first, the illustrations include a preponderance of horizontal lines. The lines divide the photos almost evenly in half (separating public sidewalk from private property or park); these straight lines subtly ease readers into a false sense of complacency. Trixie & her Daddy are completing a common, boring errand. They're walking along a route they've walked many times before. Things should proceed in a logical order, with minimal interruption or drama. But, of course, life with kids is never boring or routine. When Trixie's Daddy finally realizes his mistake, the neat & tidy green margins don't stay neat & tidy. Instead, they barge in to the photographs in sharp, angular shapes resembling lightning bolts. It's an aha! moment -- but the epiphany isn't symbolized by the gentle, harnessed curves of a lightbulb (an invention which stands for humanity's genius & dominion over chaos); it's a jarring, unwelcome realization, so it's represented with a powerful & wild shape.
2) Performative Potential: The story of Knuffle Bunny is rife with drama, action, & emotions! It's not a stressful book, however, since the drama is balanced with predictable, slightly repetitive text. The two main characters travel to the laundromat, following a set path. When they return, they travel the same path, passing the same landmarks (only faster). Kids might not know if Knuffle Bunny will be found. But --if they've been listening --, they should be able to predict exactly which words will come next. This means that they're never in completely unfamiliar territory. This balance, along with the simple, spare text & the natural pacing, make Knuffle Bunny a great choice for a read-aloud.
The methods that Trixie uses to present her problem to her Daddy are nothing short of hilarious. She sobs. She wails. She "goes boneless" (flopping emphatically to the ground) as her father tries to drag her across the sidewalk. These can all be pantomimed. And, my personal favorite: she babbles & waves her arms, using desperate nonsense words, which are a joy to shout at the top of one's lungs: "Aggle flaggle klabble!" The look of indignation on Trixie's face, once her mother voices the problem aloud, is priceless. The running journey that the family takes can be enacted by slamming one's feet against the ground & panting with belabored breaths. When Trixie finally speaks, it's the perfect opportunity to bust-out your cutesy, baby voice. I truly cannot imagine how it could possibly get any better.
3) Diversity: In a natural, subtle way, Knuffle Bunny presents class diversity. Trixie's family lives in an urban environment, in what appears to be a brownstone, without luxury appliances (such as a washer & dryer). I've read this story in a small, wealthy community, where the children in attendance had never heard the word "laundromat" before. And, I've read it in an inner-city school, located in a big city, where kids were intimately familiar with the act of lugging their dirty clothes to a separate location & feeding quarters into a machine. It's important for kids to hear about lives that are different from their own, and to see their own lives reflected back to them.
While Trixie & fam aren't very diverse, the residents of the city drawn into the background accurately represent what the real make-up of a New York neighborhood would be: there are several people of color (listening to music, jogging, & reading the newspaper), at least one blue-haired punk, lots of dogs (most notably, a Dachshund & a Scottish Terrier), and one child in a wheelchair. Traditional gender roles are flipped, with Trixie's Daddy taking over childcare duties & performing domestic chores while Trixie's Mommy gets some time to herself to relax outside on the stoop, in the sunshine, with a good book. My only criticism is that Trixie's mother is still the one with natural knowledge of what her daughter wants, while Dad is the one who makes a mistake & needs intervention. Dads can be capable caretakers who develop deep bonds with their children, too! My complaint is slightly tempered by the fact that Trixie's dad is the one who ultimately finds Knuffle Bunny, making him the one who truly saves the day (although, casting a male in a savior role isn't exactly revolutionary or progressive, either. Is it?).
If you haven't read Knuffle Bunny before, you should definitely pick it up at your local library. A word of caution: there are three titles in the Knuffle Bunny series (including Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale; Knuffle Bunny, Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity; & Knuffle Bunny, Free: An Unexpected Diversion). Trixie gets progressively older in each. I recommend that you avoid reading them in quick succession. Or, if you do, try to refrain from doing so in public. I once thought it'd be cute to read them all aloud and almost ended up weeping openly in front of a crowd of 60+ Storytime attendees. She just grows up so fast!
Genre: Children's Picture Book / Hardcover
Bibliographic Citation: Willems, Mo. (2004). Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Summary: Trixie, a delightfully-expressive toddler (without formal language), goes on an errand with her Daddy to the Laundromat. She accidentally leaves her favorite stuffed animal behind. The situation becomes increasingly dire, and both father & daughter become increasingly frustrated, as Trixie attempts to convey the seriousness of what's happened on the walk home. Upon arrival, Trixie's mother immediately notices the missing companion & they all rush back through the city to reclaim their lost family member. When the two are reunited, Trixie proclaims BFF's name in a burst of unbridled joy, thereby speaking her first words: "Knuffle Bunny!"
Personal Comments: First, I'd like to draw your attention to the asterisk accompanying this page's title: "Favorite Picture Book*." It's nearly as difficult to choose one's Favorite Picture Book as it is to choose one's Favorite Book! Knuffle Bunny isn't my absolute, hands-down, battle to the death, Favorite Picture Book of All Time (it's like the opposite of Highlander: in this instance, there can only be a Top 10, at the very least), but it's definitely one of my favorite read-alouds...which is close enough.
The reasons I love Knuffle Bunny are legion but I'll narrow them down to three main categories:
1) Illustration Style
2) Performative Potential
3) Diversity
1) Illustration Style: The illustrations in Knuffle Bunny aren't just good; they're so good that Mo Willems won a Caldecott Honor for them in 2005 to recognize his brilliance. The art is a mixed-media combination of Willems' simple yet emotive cartoons (hand-drawn ink sketches) with actual, sepia-toned digital photography depicting the streets of Brooklyn. This combination creates a wealth of visual interest. It's uncommon enough that kids' curiosity is naturally piqued and they're eager to discuss the art without any prompting.
Adults may also notice Willems' expert use of line & shape. At first, the illustrations include a preponderance of horizontal lines. The lines divide the photos almost evenly in half (separating public sidewalk from private property or park); these straight lines subtly ease readers into a false sense of complacency. Trixie & her Daddy are completing a common, boring errand. They're walking along a route they've walked many times before. Things should proceed in a logical order, with minimal interruption or drama. But, of course, life with kids is never boring or routine. When Trixie's Daddy finally realizes his mistake, the neat & tidy green margins don't stay neat & tidy. Instead, they barge in to the photographs in sharp, angular shapes resembling lightning bolts. It's an aha! moment -- but the epiphany isn't symbolized by the gentle, harnessed curves of a lightbulb (an invention which stands for humanity's genius & dominion over chaos); it's a jarring, unwelcome realization, so it's represented with a powerful & wild shape.
2) Performative Potential: The story of Knuffle Bunny is rife with drama, action, & emotions! It's not a stressful book, however, since the drama is balanced with predictable, slightly repetitive text. The two main characters travel to the laundromat, following a set path. When they return, they travel the same path, passing the same landmarks (only faster). Kids might not know if Knuffle Bunny will be found. But --if they've been listening --, they should be able to predict exactly which words will come next. This means that they're never in completely unfamiliar territory. This balance, along with the simple, spare text & the natural pacing, make Knuffle Bunny a great choice for a read-aloud.
The methods that Trixie uses to present her problem to her Daddy are nothing short of hilarious. She sobs. She wails. She "goes boneless" (flopping emphatically to the ground) as her father tries to drag her across the sidewalk. These can all be pantomimed. And, my personal favorite: she babbles & waves her arms, using desperate nonsense words, which are a joy to shout at the top of one's lungs: "Aggle flaggle klabble!" The look of indignation on Trixie's face, once her mother voices the problem aloud, is priceless. The running journey that the family takes can be enacted by slamming one's feet against the ground & panting with belabored breaths. When Trixie finally speaks, it's the perfect opportunity to bust-out your cutesy, baby voice. I truly cannot imagine how it could possibly get any better.
3) Diversity: In a natural, subtle way, Knuffle Bunny presents class diversity. Trixie's family lives in an urban environment, in what appears to be a brownstone, without luxury appliances (such as a washer & dryer). I've read this story in a small, wealthy community, where the children in attendance had never heard the word "laundromat" before. And, I've read it in an inner-city school, located in a big city, where kids were intimately familiar with the act of lugging their dirty clothes to a separate location & feeding quarters into a machine. It's important for kids to hear about lives that are different from their own, and to see their own lives reflected back to them.
While Trixie & fam aren't very diverse, the residents of the city drawn into the background accurately represent what the real make-up of a New York neighborhood would be: there are several people of color (listening to music, jogging, & reading the newspaper), at least one blue-haired punk, lots of dogs (most notably, a Dachshund & a Scottish Terrier), and one child in a wheelchair. Traditional gender roles are flipped, with Trixie's Daddy taking over childcare duties & performing domestic chores while Trixie's Mommy gets some time to herself to relax outside on the stoop, in the sunshine, with a good book. My only criticism is that Trixie's mother is still the one with natural knowledge of what her daughter wants, while Dad is the one who makes a mistake & needs intervention. Dads can be capable caretakers who develop deep bonds with their children, too! My complaint is slightly tempered by the fact that Trixie's dad is the one who ultimately finds Knuffle Bunny, making him the one who truly saves the day (although, casting a male in a savior role isn't exactly revolutionary or progressive, either. Is it?).
If you haven't read Knuffle Bunny before, you should definitely pick it up at your local library. A word of caution: there are three titles in the Knuffle Bunny series (including Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale; Knuffle Bunny, Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity; & Knuffle Bunny, Free: An Unexpected Diversion). Trixie gets progressively older in each. I recommend that you avoid reading them in quick succession. Or, if you do, try to refrain from doing so in public. I once thought it'd be cute to read them all aloud and almost ended up weeping openly in front of a crowd of 60+ Storytime attendees. She just grows up so fast!