The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Bagram Ibatouilline. It is a fantasy book, but also realistic fiction from a different perspective. It was published in 2006 by Candlewick Press.
This is the story of a little girl named Abilene and her china rabbit, named Edward. These two are best friends and Abilene loves Edward very much, but Edward never really returns that affection towards Abilene. He of course cannot tell her because he is a doll, but his thoughts are never of how much he loves her. Abilene’s grandmother can see that Edward does not love Abilene like she loves him and she warns Edward that he is disappointing her. One day Abilene takes Edward with her family on a boat trip. While on the boat Edward is accidentally tossed overboard and begins a miraculous journey. He is at the bottom of the ocean for almost a year and then a storm washes him up and he is caught by a fisherman’s net. The fisherman and his wife love Edward for quite a while, until their evil daughter throws Edward away with the trash. Then Edward spends a long while at the dump buried under trash. One day a dog comes and digs Edward up and takes Edward with her. The dog and her owner, who is a traveling hobo, take Edward along on their journey. Then Edward is thrown from a train that the three of them are riding one night and is found by a woman on the road. The woman hangs Edward up as a scarecrow until a little boy discovers Edward and knows the perfect home for him. The little boy takes Edward to comfort his sick sister. The sister loves Edward, but then she passes away and Edward sets off again, this time as a dancing rabbit with the little boy. With the boy Edward almost is no more when his head is broken by an angry diner owner. Then, thankfully, Edward is fixed by a doll mender! He sits on a shelf, lonely and having given up on life, until one day a little girl takes him down. When her mother comes to look at Edward she knows that it is her Edward that she lost at sea so many years ago.
This story is about a doll’s incredible journey. Before Edward set out, he was spoiled and haughty and did not care one bit about love. Through his journey with all kinds of people, he learns what love is and learns how much he really does love to be held. Edward almost gives up on ever being loved again while he sits on the shelf at the doll mender’s shop and waits, but his journey ends back at home with the little girl he loved first.
I loved this story. I loved that it was about learning how to love and how to be loved and also that it was told from a dolls perspective. Almost every little girl has a favorite doll that she talks to and that she really believes hears her and loves her back. This story affirms that and gives the reader a perspective that has rarely been taken. I was a little confused by the grandmother’s story just like Edward. The grandmother told a story of a princess who refused to love and was turned into a warthog by a witch. The grandmother told this story to Abilene, but was looking right at Edward as she said it. I understood that Edward was disappointing the grandmother by not loving Abilene back, but I could not make the connection between the warthog and Edward. This is a story full of magic through a doll that understands and also full of sweet, touching stories of love. This is a wonderful adventure to go on with Edward.
This book can be used in a classroom to teach kids about caring and about being thankful for the people who do care for you. Most elementary students go through a selfish stage where all they care about is toys. This book can show kids that toys are not what make everyone happy and that they need love and kindness in their lives. This would be a great book to extend and make last for weeks. I can see young readers being enthralled with the story and wondering where Edward will end up next.
This is the story of a little girl named Abilene and her china rabbit, named Edward. These two are best friends and Abilene loves Edward very much, but Edward never really returns that affection towards Abilene. He of course cannot tell her because he is a doll, but his thoughts are never of how much he loves her. Abilene’s grandmother can see that Edward does not love Abilene like she loves him and she warns Edward that he is disappointing her. One day Abilene takes Edward with her family on a boat trip. While on the boat Edward is accidentally tossed overboard and begins a miraculous journey. He is at the bottom of the ocean for almost a year and then a storm washes him up and he is caught by a fisherman’s net. The fisherman and his wife love Edward for quite a while, until their evil daughter throws Edward away with the trash. Then Edward spends a long while at the dump buried under trash. One day a dog comes and digs Edward up and takes Edward with her. The dog and her owner, who is a traveling hobo, take Edward along on their journey. Then Edward is thrown from a train that the three of them are riding one night and is found by a woman on the road. The woman hangs Edward up as a scarecrow until a little boy discovers Edward and knows the perfect home for him. The little boy takes Edward to comfort his sick sister. The sister loves Edward, but then she passes away and Edward sets off again, this time as a dancing rabbit with the little boy. With the boy Edward almost is no more when his head is broken by an angry diner owner. Then, thankfully, Edward is fixed by a doll mender! He sits on a shelf, lonely and having given up on life, until one day a little girl takes him down. When her mother comes to look at Edward she knows that it is her Edward that she lost at sea so many years ago.
This story is about a doll’s incredible journey. Before Edward set out, he was spoiled and haughty and did not care one bit about love. Through his journey with all kinds of people, he learns what love is and learns how much he really does love to be held. Edward almost gives up on ever being loved again while he sits on the shelf at the doll mender’s shop and waits, but his journey ends back at home with the little girl he loved first.
I loved this story. I loved that it was about learning how to love and how to be loved and also that it was told from a dolls perspective. Almost every little girl has a favorite doll that she talks to and that she really believes hears her and loves her back. This story affirms that and gives the reader a perspective that has rarely been taken. I was a little confused by the grandmother’s story just like Edward. The grandmother told a story of a princess who refused to love and was turned into a warthog by a witch. The grandmother told this story to Abilene, but was looking right at Edward as she said it. I understood that Edward was disappointing the grandmother by not loving Abilene back, but I could not make the connection between the warthog and Edward. This is a story full of magic through a doll that understands and also full of sweet, touching stories of love. This is a wonderful adventure to go on with Edward.
This book can be used in a classroom to teach kids about caring and about being thankful for the people who do care for you. Most elementary students go through a selfish stage where all they care about is toys. This book can show kids that toys are not what make everyone happy and that they need love and kindness in their lives. This would be a great book to extend and make last for weeks. I can see young readers being enthralled with the story and wondering where Edward will end up next.
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