#1 Knuffle Bunny

Title: Knuffle Bunny

Author: Mo Willems

Illustrator: Mo Willems

Publishing Company: Hyperion Books

Copyright Date: 2004

# of Pages: 31

Genre/category: Picture books

     Mrs. Strain read this book aloud to us in class today. It was about a little girl named Trixie who could not talk yet. She went to the laundry mat with her dad to wash clothes, and she lost her stuffed bunny, Knuffle Bunny, while helping her father wash clothes. On the way home, Trixie realized that Knuffle Bunny was missing. She tried to tell her father, but he just could not understand. When she got home, they rushed back to the laundry mat and searched for Knuffle Bunny. When they found Knuffle Bunny, Trixie was so excited that she said her first words, Knuffle Bunny.

     Mo Willems used black and white photographs to set the scene for his story. He depicted the characters by using hand-drawn animations. As Trixie became more upset, the illustrations told the story. Her eyes began to get larger and larger, and her babbling words began to take up more space. Mo Willems also used his illustrations to show that the family was losing hope of ever finding Knuffle Bunny. The longer they searched, the smaller the words became.

     The book Knuffle Bunny could be used as a quick write prompt. The students could answer questions such as, " Have you ever lost something important to you? How did you feel? Do you have something that is special to you like Knuffle Bunny is to Trixie?" It could also be used to talk about responsibility. Teachers could explain  how it is important to keep up with your things in the classroom so you do not end up like Trixie. It would also be a way to introduce dialect and how writers can use slang words during dialog to depict a characters background or emotions. This book would be a great read for any classroom not only because it is interesting and engaging, but also because it is a winner of the Caldecot award.