Knuffle+Bunny+-+A+Cautionary+Tale

=**//Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale//**, Written and Illustrated by: Mo Willems= = = Reading Ages: 2 - 5 Publication Date: 2004 Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children; New York ISBN: 978-0-07868-1870-9Hardcover Price: $16.99 Type of book: Fiction
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Trixie and her Dad go on a trip to the laundry mat to wash clothes and Trixie brings her best friend along - a stuffed animal named Knuffle bunny. On their way home, Trixie suddenly realizes she has forgotten her best friend at the laundry mat. She frantically tries to explain this to her Dad, but her Dad doesn’t understand baby talk. Trixie has a meltdown as a last resort, but it only makes her Dad more upset. Upon arriving home, her Mom asks where Knuffle Bunny is. Finally, Dad realizes what has happened and they all race back to the laundry mat to save Knuffle Bunny. Trixie is so relieved upon seeing her best friend that she exclaims “Knuffle Bunny!” – her very first words.
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I think this is a wonderful story that can be easily related to a child’s/student’s life. The background is made from real pictures and look like a real city neighborhood, the illustrations are expressive, and Trixie and her Dad are embarking on a true to life errand – washing clothes. There are so many possible discussions that can take place with this book in a classroom (younger grades of course), from communication, to different home settings, to different types of families, to emotions, to plot development, etc. The story is short, but the author manages to keep the audience on the edge of their seat, waiting to see if Knuffle Bunny will be saved. Definitely a welcome addition to a classroom.
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This book has excellent plot development that is easy for children to understand. The illustrations in the book help simplify the plot development – they make it obvious without using too many words. Plot contains 5 elements: the introduction, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the conclusion. In the introduction to a story, setting, characters and the problem are introduced. As we read Knuffle bunny, we see Trixie introduced on the first page. The introduction is short because much of the needed info is described in the picture instead of in words. This can be used as a discussion point with the children. The setting is introduced in a way that allows children to connect the story to their lives as Trixie and her dad walk through her neighborhood to the laundry mat: “down the block, through the park, past the school, and into the laundry mat”. These are all land marks that children see in their everyday lives. The rising action is seen as Trixie’s frustration grows that her dad doesn’t understand the horrible thing that has happened to her beloved friend, and the illustrations showing Trixie’s expressions help the children understand the growing urgency of the situation. The climax is marked by Dad’s distress as he realizes what Trixie’s tantrum was about. The author uses a classic cartoon illustration to show his distress – an expression kids will easily recognize if they watch cartoons (most kids have). The “ultimate battle” ensues as the family races back through the neighborhood to find Knuffle Bunny before he is gone forever. They are shown tearing the laundry room apart as Trixie waits in suspense. Of course the conclusion is the traditional happy ending – Trixie is shown jumping for joy as Dad pulls Knuffle Bunny out of the washing machine. This is a good book to use to introduce the concept of plot development because each of the separate elements can be clearly seen through the text and the illustrations. It is presented in simplified form and the elements can be easily mapped out for the class on a diagram so children have a visual of the concept of plot development. Visuals are always helpful to children when learning a new concept.
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Mo Willems is a well-known children’s author and illustrator, as well as an animator. He began his career writing and animating for Sesame Street, earning 6 Emmy awards for his writing. Later, he moved on to animating, writing, and directing for companies such as Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, which he pursued for several years before leaving the business for his own writing career. Since then, he has written various award winning children’s books, including //Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus//, //Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity//, as well as the Elephant and Piggie series.
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