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Book cover image
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Book Summary:
The
Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
tells a tale from the eyes of a rabbit. Edward Tulane is a china rabbit dressed
in fine silks and leathers. His little girl is Abilene Tulane a ten year old
who loves Edward dearly. Life is grand in the Tulane household except for
Abilene’s grandmother Pellegrina. While Abilene treats Edward as a real being
and speaks to him as such, so does Pellegrina speak to Edward as an equal. The
fine rabbit Edward was a gift from Pellegrina to Abilene. The grandmother is
the person who had Edward custom made with bendable parts and rabbit fur ears
and tail. She is also responsible for his fine outfits and pocket watch. All
this finery goes to Edward’s head and he does admire his good looks and
exceptional wardrobe. Meanwhile Abilene loves Edward to pieces and tells him as
much. Edward has no response because he cannot speak. Every once in a while, he
does feel annoyance at things that happen to him like the dog slobber on his
beautiful suit and being dragged around, but he does not feel love. All Edward
can do is watch and listen. He does listen well when Pellegrina tells Abilene
and him a story about a beautiful princess that loves no one. Pellegrina ends
the story abruptly and leaves Abilene wondering if there can be happily ever
after without love and to Edward she whispers in his ear that he has
disappointed her. Edward is annoyed yet again. The story continues as the
family travel to England by ship. While onboard Edward is thrown overboard and
slowly sinks into the depths of the ocean. This starts his story of many years
and many new owners. Edward lives with Lawrence and Nellie, Bull and Lucy, as a
scarecrow for an elderly woman, Sarah Ruth and Bryce, and finally with the doll
maker. He live many more years as someone other than Edward until, there is
love and happily ever after.
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APA Reference of Book:
DiCamillo,
K. (2006). The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Somerville, MA:
Candlewick Press.
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Impressions:
As I first picked up the book at the
library and read the back about a rabbit who did not move or speak I put the
book back down. How could that story possibly be interesting or fun to read?
Good thing I went to the computers and checked out reviews on the books I had
gotten off the shelves to see what interested me. This book stood out strangely
enough so I thought okay I’ll give it a try. Am I so glad I did. The words
depicting the feelings or lack of them are almost piercing and the illustrations
bring the whole picture full circle. I could feel the fur on Edward’s ears
picking up. At one point Pellegrina made the hair on my arms stand up too, her
wickedness came through the pages. Sometimes I wondered how a story could be
told without dialogue. Well it was told wonderfully and you sensed the
loneliness and despair of Edward’s predicament. When the dialogue did come
around you just felt what Edward felt humanity at last. A breath of fresh air
(even if it was smelly at times). I caught myself smiling, laughing, and
cheering often when Edward was out of his last dismal situation and maybe had
found a forever home. When Edward was flying through the air in the jaws of
Lucy, I was cheering Lucy on and yelling, “Go Lucy! Go Lucy!” I really got
caught up in a story about a rabbit who cannot move or speak. The humanity of
life comes across so overwhelmingly that I could not put the book down for fear
of losing Edward forever. I was reading faster and faster so that he would
learn what love was and find Abilene again. I was literally keeping a running
total at first of the days Edward was lost; then when seven years had gone by
in the company of Bull and Lucy, well I almost gave up hope. Then I remembered
Pellegrina and her message of happily ever after without love. So I kept
reading to make sure Edward would be loved again. The doll shop was depressing
but had lessons to be learned. And finally Edward learned how to accept and
give love. The encounter with the antique baby doll opened Edward’s eyes to
seeing the journey and not having it mean nothing, but letting love in and
loving out lest he be pushed off the shelf. That confrontation was priceless.
Exactly the word for this book!
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Professional Review:
I have read hundreds of books and only
a few have brought tears to my eyes. Edward, a quite handsome and rather
self-centered china rabbit, is transformed through a journey across time and
space that takes him far away from the lap of luxury and the arms of the girl
who loves him to the bottom of the sea, to a lowly fisherman's hut, to a
garbage dump, to a tramp's shoulder, to a dying girl's bed-side, to a broken
heap on the sidewalk, to a doll doctor's shop, to-the miraculous conclusion. He
doesn't become real in the literal sense like the Velveteen Rabbit, but Edward
learns to love and by learning to love he becomes real in a spiritual sense
that is eternal. Bagram Ibatoulline illustrates the book with exquisite color
art plates that enhance the text and add depth and texture to the words. A DVD
interview with Kate DiCamillo accompanies the book. If one can buy only one new
children's book, this is the one. Highly Recommended.
Williams,
S. (2006). The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Library Media Connection,
24(7), 66.
Although Edward Tulane resents being
referred to as a toy, much less a doll, most of us would regard him as such. He
is, in fact, a rabbit made mostly of china, jointed with wire at the elbows and
knees, so that he has quite a range of motion. His ears are bendable wire,
covered with rabbit fur, so that they can be arranged to suit his
mood-"jaunty, tired, full of ennui." He has a lovely, fluffy rabbit
fur tail, as well. He prefers not to think about his whiskers, as he darkly
suspects their origin in some inferior animal. Edward, thanks to his owner's
grandmother, has more clothes, and certainly more elegant clothes, than most
children. He even has a little gold pocket watch that really tells time. But
the most important thing that Edward has in his pampered life is the love of a
10-year-old girl named Abilene Tulane. Surely, Edward Tulane is a rabbit who
has everything-everything that is, but what he most needs. There will be
inevitable comparisons of Edward Tulane to The Velveteen Rabbit, and Margery
Williams's classic story can still charm after 83 years. But as delightful as
it is, it can't match the exquisite language, inventive plot twists and
memorable characters of DiCamillo's tale. Edward, unlike Rabbit, has never
thought of himself as less than real, he just hasn't caught on to what it means
to love anything or anyone beyond his own reflected image. Until, that is, he
is rudely set off on the miraculous journey of the title-a journey that begins
when Abilene's grandmother tells her and Edward a strange fairy tale of a
princess who does not know how to love, and whispers in Edward's ear, "You
disappoint me." And the journey ends, as any true fairy tale should, with
a happily ever after. But it is the journey from pride through humiliation,
heartbreak and near destruction that brings Edward to that joyful ending. Even
in the galley stage, this is a beautiful book. Ibatoulline's illustrations are
simply wonderful, and the high quality of the design incorporates luxurious
paper and spaciously arranged blocks of text. But a story for today about a toy
rabbit? Okay, I thought, Kate DiCamillo can make me cry for a motherless child
and a mongrel stray. She can wring my heart following the trials of two lonely
children and a caged tiger, and bring tears to my eyes for a brave little
lovesick mouse, but why should I care what happens to an arrogant, over-dressed
china rabbit? But I did care, desperately, and I think I can safely predict you
will, too. Ages 7-up. (Feb.)
Paterson,
K. (2005). The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Publishers Weekly, 252(49),
67.
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Library Uses:
Stations would be set up in the library
with a Tic-Tac-Toe board with writing prompts. Some sample prompts could be as
follows:
1. In all his journeys, Edward Tulane
wants to go back home to what he considers home on Egypt Street. He spends
meets many people on his journeys that make him happy, give him a new home, and
treat him well. Make a list of things that mean home to you and why they do.
2. Write from Abilene’s point of view
about the loss of Edward Tulane. How do you think her life changed when he was
lost at sea?
3. Edward had lost all hope and said so
at the doll shop. On page 184 he “prided himself on not hoping, on not allowing
his heart to lift inside of him… I am done with hope” he thinks to himself. Why
has Edward given up? Knowing what you know about the world, what would you tell
Edward to help him know that he will be all right again.
4. Edward meets people who are caring
to him, love him, could not care less about him, and some that are just mean to
him. Create a visual of these characters Edward meets on his journey and
compare and contrast their similarities and differences. How do you think each
character is necessary to what Edward discovers about himself?
5. Make a list of normal everyday emotions
people feel through out their lives. Write them down and examine which emotions
Edward appears to be missing at the beginning of the story and which he
experiences at the conclusion of his journeys.
The Tic-Tac-Toe board would have nine
prompts and the students would have to pick three in a row for Tic-Tac-Toe and
there would be materials for the students to display their writing in an
artistic and written form.
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