Knuffle Bunny

Author and Illustrator, Mo Willems

Hyperion Books for Children
Published 2004
ISBN 07868187-0

Setting					Big city neighborhood, Brooklyn, New York.
Plot					Daddy and baby Trixie (too young to even speak words), go to the Laundromat and as they head home, Trixie realizes she left her stuffed Knuffle Bunny. Unable to speak real words, she says “Aggle flaggle klabble,” and of course daddy doesn’t understand. The book continues with the ultimate rescue of the beloved stuffed bunny with much humor that kids and adults can relate to. In a storytime setting, children become absorbed in Trixie’s plight because they can relate to the anxiety she must feel. This is an example of Reader Response Theory for young children.
Illustrations, Writing Style					Ingenious! The backgrounds are actual brown-toned black and white photos featuring urban scenes of streets, homes and the Laundromat. The characters are cartoon illustrations superimposed over the photos. A very pleasing illustration style that was awarded a Caldecott Honor Award.
Theme(s)					Separation, communication (or lack thereof), the close relationship between a child and her/his stuffed animal.
Characterizations					Dad does the laundry! But mom is the hero for immediately knowing that Trixie is missing Knuffle Bunny. Great examples of baby talk make for a fun storytime performance.
Programming Connections					Perfect for a storytime with a stuffed animal theme. Also would work for bunnies or babies themes. The storyteller could pair it with Willems wonderful books about the Pigeon who wants to drive the bus for a whole Mo Storytime!
Personal Response					I fell in love with this book the moment I read it. Great story even though it is basically a retelling of Don Freeman’s Corduroy book where a stuffed animal is left at the Laundromat. I did not care for Knuffle Bunny Too quite as much so am looking forward to the third installment of this series, coming out soon! As a side note, my New York City daughter spied Mo Willems reading his stories in a NYC park!