The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

Reviewed by Ellen

Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES


Ratings Explanation

Violence:  A cruel man kicks and yells at a hobo when he is discovered sleeping on a train.  The diner owner yanks Edward out of a little boy’s hands and slams the rabbit against the lunch counter, shattering Edward’s head.  Edward is nailed to a wooden stake and turned into a scarecrow, and the illustration of him resembles a crucifixion. Some of these themes and images may be disturbing for sensitive children.

Adult Themes:  A little boy’s father is an abusive alcoholic.  The boy’s younger sister dies, and he runs away from home.

Synopsis

In a house on Egypt Street there lives a beautiful china rabbit named Edward.  He dresses in the finest apparel and is adored by a little girl named Abilene.  But Edward thinks so highly of himself that he thinks very little of anything or anyone else.  Being loved by Abilene is fine as long as she doesn’t squeeze him so tightly that his clothes get rumpled.  One day they embark on an ocean journey, and Edward is tossed overboard by two careless boys.  There on the ocean floor he lays for some time, until a storm tosses him upwards and he is caught in the net of a fisherman who brings him home to his wife.  Thus begins an adventure for Edward of being lost and found over and over, from Abilene to the fisherman, from a garbage dump to a hobo, from the railroad tracks into the arms of a deathly sick little girl (who squeezes him very tightly), and all along the way, Edward begins to understand what it truly means to be loved and to love in return.  But will he ever see little Abilene again?

I read this book aloud to my little girl before bedtime, and each night after she fell asleep I would keep reading to find out what happened next to Edward.  Of course I knew he was just a pompous toy rabbit, but like Abilene, I loved him anyway and became engrossed in his journey.  The book is pure magic.  Edward is real not just to the reader, but to every character whose path he crosses in the book; the characters themselves are so sweet that it is heartbreaking to see Edward get separated from each one of them.  The ending gave me goosebumps.  A beautifully told story; it is, however, incredibly poignant and sad in many parts, which may be considered too heavy for very young or sensitive readers. That being said, it is still an extremely worthwhile read.

©2010 The Literate Mother