Picture Books: Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

Willems, Mo. 2004. Knuffle Bunny. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN0786818700

Summary 

Knuffle Bunny is a humorous tale that depicts the trauma a child suffers when a special stuffed animal is lost. Trixie, her father, and her beloved Knuffle Bunny, take a trip to the local laundromat. While helping her dad with the laundry, Trixie accidentally puts Knuffle Bunny in the basket, tossing him in with the dirty clothes. They leave before she realizes her bunny is gone. She expresses her concern to her father, only it’s gibberish, due to the fact that Trixie has not yet learned her words.  Unbeknownst to him, Trixie’s father continues to walk home. Her gibberish then turns to mayhem, causing her father to feel annoyed. As soon as they get home, the mother notices Knuffle Bunny is gone, and the whole family rushes to the laundromat to find him. Once found, Trixie speaks her first words, “Knuffle Bunny.”

Analysis

Not only does the plot take us on a journey that we can all relate too, but also, the pictures give us a realistic understanding of the setting. Willems' illustrations are a combination of hand drawn ink sketches and digital photography. The photos are black and white images of an actual front door, a neighborhood block, a park, a school, and, finally, the interior and exterior of the laundromat. The colorful illustrations of Trixie, Knuffle Bunny, and her parents stand out over the black and white photographs. The unique artistry of Willems' illustrations really brings the story to life.

Knuffle Bunny is told through an omniscient point of view and follows a true plot line. The story begins with the rising action of the trip to the laundromat and the unawareness of Knuffle Bunny's disappearance. The climactic moment of the story is a combination of events---Trixie's fits when she can't communicate her despair, paired with her mother's discovery of the missing bunny. The treasured toy reappears in the denouement, when the family finds him at the laundromat, and Trixie says her first words. The author's tone is very realistic, accurately portraying the feelings that children and their parents experience during moments of excitement, sadness, frustration, and relief.

Personal Response

I thoroughly enjoyed each aspect of Knuffle Bunny, from the text itself to the illustrations. I found it easy to relate to for anyone who has felt helpless after losing a stuffed animal, baby blanket, or anything special to them.

Reviews and Awards

"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

"These perfect pictures of New York City complement the family tale of Daddy who is wrong, wrong, wrong, and Trixie, who is totally right, but can’t yet say words to tell him. Heartwarming and hilarious." – Diantha McBride, School Library Journal

A 2005 Caldecott Honor Book

Connections

Mo Willems is an author that children would love to learn more about. His hilarious stories are widely appreciated by kids of all ages. Favorites include the Knuffle Bunny Series, the Pigeon Series (Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus), The Elephant and Piggie Series (I Love My New Toy), and the Naked Mole Rat Series (Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed). Students can study the author and present what they learn. They could also do book reports on their favorite Mo Willems books.

A cartoon version of the story can be found on Bookflix, a website created by Scholastic where children can listen and watch stories. Each story is paired with a non-fiction text. The site requires a log-in, which may be accessible through a school's library.

Picture Books: Grandpa Green by Lane Smith

Smith, Lane. 2011. Grandpa Green. New York: Roaring Book Press. ISBN 9781596436077

Summary

Grandpa Green is a touching tale of a boy who learns stories of his great-grandfather's life through the beauty of topiary landscaping. The enchanting tale takes the reader through major milestones in the great-grandfather's life: his childhood experiences while living on a farm, interests in fantasy books, girls, and horticulture, life as a soldier, love, marriage, children, and the forgetfulness that comes with old age. These memories are preserved in the garden in which the story is set.

Analysis

Smith's illustrations take us on a journey through the garden, with mainly white backgrounds filled with various shades of green, emphasizing the appeal of the topiary trees. Splashes of color come into play at significant moments, particularly in the mention of chicken pox. Images of the boy show him collecting and transporting gardening tools while appreciating and reenacting special moments through the details of the topiary trees. Smith illustrates through the magic of collage, a combination of various mediums.

Grandpa Green teaches the reader the importance of family and preservation of memories. The illustrations play an integral role in teaching these themes, as the text itself is a very low word count. After reading the story a second time and evaluating the illustrations with a keener eye, the reader notices that the tools collected by the boy are those that the great-grandfather leaves behind due to his forgetfulness. Character development is minor, but the boy has an understanding that, while his great-grandfather may forget the small things, such as his gardening tools, the "important stuff, the garden remembers for him."

Personal Response

Grandpa Green is beautifully written and illustrated. I found myself reading the story multiple times, studying the illustrations and noticing more details with each reread. The closeness and emotion portrayed through the pictures is remarkable. I found myself thinking of my special connections to the places, objects, and memories I cherish with my late grandparents.

Reviews and Awards

"From a jacket image of the entranced child watching Grandpa shape an elephant to a last view of that child fashioning a topiary Grandpa, a thoughtful, eloquent, and elegantly illustrated book to explore, consider, and read again."-Joanna Rudge Long, The Horn Book Magazine

"A clever premise, brilliant pacing, and whimsical illustrations offer a distinctive look at the life and artistic vision of one great-grandfather." -School Library Journal

"It's a rare glimpse into Smith's softer side—as skillful as his more sly offerings, but crafted with honesty and heart." -Publishers Weekly

2012 Caldecott Honor Book

Connections

Children may feel a special connection to Grandpa Green depending on the relationships they have with their own grandparents. A great selection that could be paired with this story is The Hello Goodbye Window by Norton Juster, a story that combines the close relationship of a grandchild and their grandparents with a special place in the grandparents home. After reading these stories, children can be inspired to write a personal narrative about special places they share with their grandparents. This lesson can be adapted to write about other family members as well.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is another great example of close relationships and how people change over time. Both books can be used in a compare/contrast lesson. The students can discuss the similarities in the relationships between characters, while also discussing the differences, like the personification of the tree versus the realness of the great-grandfather.