Book Review: Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems


Trixie loves her friend, Knuffle Bunny, so what happens when it gets left behind while running an errand? Adorable chaos. Her parents do all they can to ensure the pair is reunited. 

The text is large and simple to read making it inviting for young readers. The text is located close to the illustrations to help readers make the connection from the text to the actions on the page. The dialogue bubble helps the reader realize that the characters are speaker as opposed to the general narration of the text. 

The mixed media illustration in this book are precious. Willems uses photographs of New York as his backdrop to his fun and quirky illustrations. The colors of the illustrations really stand out against the sepia-toned photos and the green margins of the page. The illustration of the text gives the reader a sense of feeling the characters are portraying and lend to the effect of the action on the page. The background of the pages also play a part in the illustrations allowing for a feeling of the emotions of the characters such as the father's distress. The illustration at the ends helps to convey the comfort and triumph of their reunion.

"Sepia-tone photographs of a Brooklyn neighborhood provide the backdrops for his hand-drawn artwork, intensifying the humor of the gleefully stylized characters--especially Trixie herself, who effectively registers all the universal signs of toddler distress, from the first quavery grimace to the uncooperative, “boneless” stage to the googly-eyed, gape-mouthed crisis point. Even children who can already talk a blue streak will come away satisfied that their own strong emotions have been mirrored and legitimized, and readers of all ages will recognize the agonizing frustration of a little girl who knows far more than she can articulate."— Jennifer Mattson, Booklist Review


Book Information:

Willems, M. (2004). Knuffle bunny: a cautionary tale. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.
IBSN: 0-7868-1870-0

Activity Ideas:

Have your student(s) create their own Knuffle Bunny. This is a great chance to introduce sewing skills are create it using paper.

Have students write an adventure about on their favorite toys.

What next?

If you liked this book, try reading Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems. (Can you spot the shout out to this book character in Knuffle Bunny? Read it and see!)

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