Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY:  Willems, Mo. 2004. KNUFFLE BUNNY:  A CAUTIONARY TALE. New York, NY: Hyperion. ISBN 0786818700.

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this wonderful picture book, Mo Willems tells us a story about a little girl named Trixie and what happens on dad’s day of taking care of her.  Trixie has a beloved stuffed animal that she takes everywhere with her named Knuffle Bunny.  Knuffle Bunny gets stuck in the washing machine at the Laundromat.  When Trixie notices Knuffle Bunny missing, she panics and tries to explain to her daddy.  Her dad gets very frustrated at her tantrums and going ‘boneless’.  Finally, once they get back to the house, mom immediately questions where Knuffle Bunny is.  The whole family runs to find Knuffle Bunny by retracing their steps.  They find Knuffle Bunny located in the wash, and Trixie exclaims her first words as Knuffle Bunny!

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Mo Willems uses very simple dialogue to capture the feelings and emotions of a pre-toddler and her parents dialogue with her.  The characters are very interesting and consistent with their age.  All children can relate to trying to tell an adult something, and the adult not getting their true message regardless of the child’s age.  It is very relatable for children and adults alike, since the characters are so expressive in their faces and body language.  The setting being black and white photos of a real neighborhood makes it all that more authentic.  While the characterization or the main characters in cartoon drawings, make each the characters more universal.  The pigeon is also in every single one of Mo Willems’ books, including this one.  This is similar to the spider or mouse in the Little Critter stories.  It gives something for even your lowest motivated reader to engage in the story.  Children and adults of all ages will laugh at Trixie’s fit, Dad’s frustration, and Mom’s motherly intuition. 

Mo Willems is an extremely gifted author and illustrator that captivates his audiences.  His experience on Sesame Street gives him a great background on how to entertain and relate to children. 

 
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Caldecott Honor Award
Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Personalities are artfully created so that both parents and children will recognize themselves within these pages. A seamless and supremely satisfying presentation of art and text.”–Martha Topol
Starred review in BOOKLIST: "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."

5. CONNECTIONS
*It is great to use in conjunction with other stories by Mo Willems.  Have students create their own pigeon books using the setting or background of Knuffle Bunny.  Take pictures around the school, or have students take pictures (depending on their age and your own comfort with allowing the kids to use the digital camera).  Then have the students illustrate the pigeon (instructions are on www.mowillems.com) and add dialogue to their story.  The children will love this and continue this on their own throughout the rest of the year! 

Pigeon books by Mo Willems:

Willems, Mo.  DON’T LET THE PIGEON STAY UP LATE!  ISBN 1406308129.

Willems, Mo.  DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS!  ISBN 0439686172. 

Willems, Mo.  THE PIGEON FINDS A HOT DOG!  ISBN 0439800889.

Willems, Mo.  THE PIGEON WANTS A PUPPY!  ISBN 1406315508.

*Gather other books about where the child is coping with being little.
Other books for children about the difficulties of being little:
Scott, Ann Herbert, Coalson, Glo. HI!. ISBN 0399219641.

Alexander, Liza.  TOO LITTLE!  ISBN 0307120090.