36. Knuffle Bunny

Even though this book is for a younger set than the grade I teach, it is still adorable. And everybody loves a story that can make them giggle...even me.


Knuffle Bunny (2004) is written and illustrated by Mo Willems. If you like it there are now 2 equally hilarious sequels. If you've ever been around a little kid who loves a certain special stuffed animal, you'll totally get this book. In fact, it made me think of my little sister Ellie and how she had this stuffed reindeer that she adored. If my parents ever forgot Reindeer at someone's house, you'd better believe they had to go back and get it so that Ellie could go to sleep. Knuffly Bunny is that special to Trixie, too.


It is a simple story that can be summed up easily: toddler runs an errand with Daddy, toddler loses stuffed animal, toddler throws a huge fit, mom knows what to do, family gets animal back. The font is huge, with only one or two lines per page, so you could read it to your toddler. But it's all the little details in the illustrations that made me laugh. 


First of all, Trixie herself is adorable. On the copyright and title page we see pictures (framed as a picture on the wall would be) of Trixie being born, trips with her parent, and Knuffle Bunny. Something cool about all of Willems' illustrations in this book is that they are hand drawn sketches (later colored digitally) laid atop real photographs (in sepia tone) of New York City. These photographs were then formatted in the book atop olive-green backdrops. I had never seen this drawing/photograph meld before, but I loved the way it gave the book a unique look and made me feel like these characters were really in the city.

Since Willems uses photographs, the illustrations have a natural frame. We see Dad and Trixie happy together, passing people on the streets. The double page spread in the laundromat is hilarious with Trixie's mouth wide open, jeans on her head, waving a bra in the air. Classic. Willems knows how to create action and movement with his lines and body positioning. Oh, and Trixie' eyes are the key to everything, since she can't yet speak. In fact, when Trixie has her freak out moment, Willems even hand-letters the 'words' coming out of her mouth. His movement lines show her waving her arms in the air and going full-on tantrum. I especially loved the scene where she went "boneless". If you've ever tried to pick up a kid that didn't want to be held, you know what that lump feels like. But thankfully the reunion scene finally comes and you can feel the warmth between Trixie and her bunny.


With a simple palette and a small amount of words, Willems' cartoon-meets-photograph story is a realistic one of family, love, and adventure (for Knuffle Bunny stuck in the washer that is). It's adorable...you should share it with your little one.