Knuffle Bunny

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Willems, Mo. 2004. KNUFFLE BUNNY. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN: 9780786818709


2. PLOT SUMMARY

Trixie, with her beloved stuffed animal named Knuffle Bunny, ventures out with her father one day to the local Laundromat. However, when disaster strikes and Knuffle Bunny goes missing, Trixie tries to explain what has happened. Unfortunately, Trixie’s toddler vocabulary and tantrums don’t mean much to her clueless father. Eventually, Trixie’s mother discovers that Knuffle Bunny is missing and soon the entire family races through the city to rescue the beloved doll.


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Mo Willems cleverly presents a hilarious tale that nearly every parent of a toddler has experienced and feared—losing a special toy, doll, or “blanky”. The brightly drawn characters are superimposed on black and white photographs of real city images, making them pop from the page. In addition, Willems brilliantly presents the characters’ facial expressions and body language, showing their feelings of urgency and frustration. Knuffle Bunny is a wonderful read aloud and sure to delight youngsters.


4. AWARDS WON AND REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

• 2004 Child magazine's Best Children's Book Award
• 2005 Caldecott Honor Book
• Horn Book (starred) (Spring 2005): “The playful retro-style illustrations, in which cartoon characters are digitally incorporated into sepia-toned photos, complement the simple, satisfying story.”
  
• Publisher’s Weekly (2004): “Willems once again demonstrates his keen insight with a story both witty and wise.”
• School Library Journal (2004): “A seamless and supremely satisfying presentation of art and text.”
• Kirkus Reviews (August 2004): “Willems is a master of body language...”

5. CONNECTIONS

• Recommended for children ages 2 to 5.

• Ask children if they have ever lost an item that was dear to them. How did it make them feel? Could they relate to Trixie in the story?

• Other picture books about losing a toy include:

-Olivia…and the Missing Toy by Ian Falconer (ISBN: 9780689852916)
-Pippo Gets Lost by Helen Oxenbury (ISBN: 9780689713361)
-Maybe a Bear Ate It by Robbie H. Harris (ISBN: 9780439929615)
-Where Is My Bennie? by April Robins (ISBN: 9781434316554)

• Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity (ISBN: 978142310299) is the 2007 sequel to Knuffle Bunny.

• Other humorous picture books by Mo Willems include:

-Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (ISBN: 9780786819881)
-Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! (ISBN: 9780786818693)
-There is a Bird on Your Head! (ISBN: 9781423106869)