The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Based on Amy’s glowing review, I picked up this book at the library and the girls and I read it over the weekend. Older Daughter and I loved it and would second Amy’s recommendation. My younger daughter has listened to the audio version of DiCamillo’s Tale of Despereaux, and based on the snippets I overheard it didn’t strike me as exceptional. But this book is amazing.

We checked out both the book and the audio book, which the girls are free to listen to now that we’ve read it together. I have a bad case of audio-inferiority, thanks to the reader’s genius with doing the different voices. I am a very boring reader by comparison, but mercifully the story stands on its own without ingenius dramatic voicing.

In essence, it’s about developing and holding on to the willingness to love despite the cruelty and pain of this world. Edward is a china rabbit who experiences his share of rough treatment as he goes through various adventures, and maybe that’s why Younger Daughter didn’t stay with it as well. But Older Daughter listened raptly, and I finished the book wishing I’d read it as a child. To me it’s an excellent way to furnish the mind of a child, to equip them for life with courage and hope in a fallen world.

As Amy mentions, it’s hard not to think of The Velveteen Rabbit, a story close to my heart. Like Margery Williams’ classic, this tale concerns a toy rabbit becoming real, whose “development” is closely tied to his owner. And like his velveteen predecessor, Edward gains at least some of his wisdom from a telling conversation with another wise old toy. But this rabbit has several owners, and on the whole his experience is darker. This tale is primarily emotional, whereas Velveteen is more philosophical. It actually reminded me more of Russell Hoban’s The Mouse and His Child, though that one I found difficult to think of as a children’s book because of its darkness. This is “kinder and gentler,” its realism challenging to young readers without being shocking.

Thanks for the review, Amy! I’m so glad you brought this to our attention.