KNUFFLE BUNNY: A CAUTIONARY TALE

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Willems, Mo. 2004. KNUFFLE BUNNY: A CAUTIONARY TALE. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0786818700

PLOT SUMMARY
Trixie, Daddy, and Knuffle Bunny stroll through the neighborhood and into the Laundromat to wash some clothes. When they leave Trixie realizes she’s missing her beloved stuffed animal, Knuffle Bunny. She tries to communicate to her Dad her dilemma by using all the baby talk she knows. Daddy dismisses this for just a toddler’s fussy behavior. When they arrive home, Trixie’s mother realizes that her bunny is missing and they rush back to the Laundromat. After a frantic search, they find her toy. With great delight, Trixie then utters her first words, “Knuffle Bunny!”

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Children will love this book and will be able to understand the frustration of losing something near and dear to them, such as a favorite toy. This is a cute and humorous story that begins with a trip to the Laundromat with Trixie and her Dad. One of the funniest scenes is when Trixie recognizes she has lost her beloved Knuffle Bunny and desperately tries to explain the loss to her Dad. Even though you can see the anguish on Trixie’s face, her frantic and nonsense babble is comical and is a laugh out loud moment.

Willems shows his creativity by using black and white photographs of real life objects with funny cartoon figures. The illustrations are simple yet dramatic and display the characters facial expressions and gestures with full emotion. The cartoon drawings express Trixie’s mood changes from frustration to delight as she finally finds her Knuffle Bunny.

Willems has created an exciting adventure which children as well as parents can relate to and enjoy!

REVIEW EXCERPTS
A 2005 Caldecott Honor Book
Starred Review in Booklist: “a comic gem.”
Starred Review in School Library Journal: “A seamless and supremely satisfying presentation of art and text.”

CONNECTIONS
Pre-reading activity: Show students the front and back cover and the endpapers of the book. Ask them: what do you think this story will be about? What do you think will happen in the story.
More books by Mo Willems: Knuffle Bunny too: A Case of Mistaken Identity, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, The Pigeon Finds a Hotdog!, Leonardo the Terrible Monster