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imogenthemog's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism and Chronic illness
Minor: Animal cruelty and Suicidal thoughts
stalacta's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The coziest, most comforting book I've ever read. Edward Tulane is about the joy and pain of loving people only to lose them, through the sweet and sad metaphor of the china doll protagonist who can control nothing but how he feels. I read this every time I undergo a personal loss and I end up weeping every time. One of my all-time favorites.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Terminal illness
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Police brutality
atamano's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Violence
creationwing's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A wonderful story for children to understand loss and love. It does have some dark moments, so I would not recommend this for young children. It was read to me in the fourth grade, but I did not remember the story because I was not in class often during story time. As an adult revisting this story, I cried for the little china rabbit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Dysphoria
briarborealisart's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I first read this book when I was young, which makes sense, because it's a children's book, and it had a profound effect on me. I reread it as an adult and cried slightly less than I cried as a child. It's phenomenally written, and I don't think it's just nostalgia that makes me say it was just as impactful as an adult as it was when I was a child.
The journey Edward Tulane went on is one most of us go through: self discovery, loss, love, grief. It's an excellent way to introduce the wonders and the troubles of human connection to young people. I highly recommend everyone read this book at some point.
The journey Edward Tulane went on is one most of us go through: self discovery, loss, love, grief. It's an excellent way to introduce the wonders and the troubles of human connection to young people. I highly recommend everyone read this book at some point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
While the book handles many heavy topics, it does so in an age-appropriate, touching, and tasteful way.sassmistress's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Wow. I'd heard good things about this book, but I was not expecting this. It's absolutely beautiful, and I definitely need to buy a copy for my personal library to treasure for years to come. That said, it is also unexpectedly heavy. I went from the first few chapters going "NEXT READALOUD YES" to "ooof, might have to wait a few years". While the overall message is one of hope and love, this book is not for sensitive children or anyone who hates sad books. There are some visceral descriptions of feelings of grief, loss, and heart-hardening. It's very emotional, and you're probably going to cry once or twice while reading it to your kids. There's a happy, hopeful ending, bringing fullness of relief. If you're familiar with the term "eucatastrophe", this book fully embodies the term.
Also, it gives major Velveteen Rabbit vibes, if you love that book.
It would be hard to find good stopping points for a bedtime read, because the middle is full of so much sad and melancholy.
Also, it gives major Velveteen Rabbit vibes, if you love that book.
It would be hard to find good stopping points for a bedtime read, because the middle is full of so much sad and melancholy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Child death
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Death of parent
- Edward (the china rabbit) is lost and scared several times, once at the bottom of the ocean and once buried in the dump. He loses hope several times, or walls off his heart because loving and losing hurts too much.- A fairy tale is told in which a witch turns a princess into a hog. The woman to told the story is likened to the witch.
- He is renamed with each new owner, once called Susanna and put in a dress. He's moderately offended, but compared to being lost at the bottom of the ocean, wearing a dress isn't so bad.
- An absent, alcoholic father is shown berating his children and slaps a young boy. He shattered the last doll in anger and says the very sick girl doesn't need one because "she don't need nothing because she ain't gonna live". Obviously misplaced grief--their mother "used to" X, so reading between the lines we assume she died.
SPOILERS:
- The rabbit is thrown to the ground and his head is broken into 16 pieces. There's 4 pages of dream sequence where he meets all the people he's loved and lost. He wants to see the girl who died, but they tell him he has to go outside to see her. They point to a constellation. He wishes he had wings to fly to her, then notices his wings and takes off. The others catch him and say he can't go yet. "Stay with us." He wakes up to see a doll mender who fixed him.
- Another doll tells Edward that "someone always comes," and spurs him to hope. However, briefly in that conversation, she tells him he might as well throw himself off the shelf if he's given up, and asks if he wants to be pushed. She's showing him how ridiculous he's being, but still.
- "I am done with loving. It is too painful."
"Don't let yourself believe it. But it was too late. *Someone will come for you.* The china rabbit's great had begun, again, to open."
kshertz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is such a cute little kids story. It was really nice to see all of the things that the rabbit goes through and still loves and is loved by so many different people. It was surprisingly emotional for such a short cute kids story. Highly recommend as a quick read.
Content Warnings
Minor: Chronic illness, Grief, and Abandonment
monalyisha's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Tomorrow, I host the first meeting of a brand-new book club for adults at my library called “The Young at Heart Book Club.” Each month, we’ll read and discuss a different children’s book. Edward Tulane was exactly the right choice for an introductory text, if I do say so myself! It’s a lyrical parable about the importance of love — and especially of hope.
I’m with Natalie Babbitt when it comes to her definition of Children’s Literature, so this is perfect! In 1970, she wrote that what distinguishes the children's story from adult literature is the happy ending…not that all ends are tied up, all problems solved…but simply that there is a final sense of promise and possibility, "something which turns a story ultimately toward hope rather than resignation.” This is the quintessential lesson that Edward learns on his miraculous journey: that “we should be awash in hope.”
I’m so happy that not only was Edward mended, his rabbit-fur ears and rabbit-fur tail restored to their original splendor, but that he finally got his wings, as well. “Hope is the thing with feathers,” after all.
I’m with Natalie Babbitt when it comes to her definition of Children’s Literature, so this is perfect! In 1970, she wrote that what distinguishes the children's story from adult literature is the happy ending…not that all ends are tied up, all problems solved…but simply that there is a final sense of promise and possibility, "something which turns a story ultimately toward hope rather than resignation.” This is the quintessential lesson that Edward learns on his miraculous journey: that “we should be awash in hope.”
I’m so happy that not only was Edward mended, his rabbit-fur ears and rabbit-fur tail restored to their original splendor, but that he finally got his wings, as well. “Hope is the thing with feathers,” after all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism and Child abuse
Minor: Animal cruelty
mandi4886's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
perenlop's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Read this one as a kid and it still holds up. It's so precious.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Grief, and Classism