The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Review

Manufacturer: Candlewick
Author(s): Kate Dicamillo

ISBN: 0763639877 EAN: 9780763639877
Binding: Paperback
Pages: 228
Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Average Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Retail Price: ~~$9.99~~
Online Sale Price: $9.99
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Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who adored him completely. And then, one day, he was lost. . . .

Kate DiCamillo takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the bedside of an ailing child to the bustling streets of Memphis. Along the way, we are shown a miracle -- that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again.

User Submitted The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Reviews

November 7, 2008
wonderfull
i just can't believe how many people think this book is "disturbing" and "twisted"...
i just finished reading it to my 6 year old and he says "what a beautiful story".
and that's exactly what it is: a STORY!!!
but i guess people who even think fairy tales are cruel and not intended for kids can't enjoy this kind of book.

November 3, 2008
Beautiful story-a must read for all ages!
This is a beautiful story that will tug on your heart strings. Edward Tulane will cause you to reflect deeply on the condition of the human heart and it blantedly shows the selfishness that hides there. A story of the transformation of the heart, it truly is a miraculous journey worth taking! I recommend this book for the young and old alike.

November 1, 2008
What a Beautiful Story - Not Just for Children
I was captivated by this gem of a book as I browsed the bookstore. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, is of course intended for children ages 4-8, but I cannot recommend it highly enough. Just over 225 pages, with large type and plenty of blank space on the pages, the story, and gorgeous illustrations are not to be missed.

Edward Tulane is a vain, self-absorbed three-foot-tall china rabbit from France who appears to have all he could want: fabulous clothes, a tiny gold pocket watch and a little girl, Abilene, who loves him. Then it all vanishes. When the family goes off on an ocean voyage trouble begins. He too falls from grace and ends up in the water. He experiences his first emotion fear.
His emotional journey through life encompasses several transformations as several owners adopt him. When a fisherman saves him from the sea, his wife calls him Susanna and puts a dress on him. But their nasty grown daughter tosses him in the trash. A hobo, retrieves Edward from the garbage dump and names him Malone. Then he loses him. A crabby old woman uses him as a scarecrow in her cornfield until Bryce, an abused boy, rescues Edward for his poor little sister, Sarah Ruth. She christens him Jangles, and Bryce strings up the toy like a marionette to dance for money. Finally in a doll shop sitting on a shelf for over a year, Edward is unexpectedly discovered by someone who has always loved him.

This story was so satisfying and does have a happy ending, however, parents of very young children should be aware that there are some sensitive issues addressed in this book: poverty, homelessness, even death.

October 27, 2008
Moving and interesting take on life.
After reading this book to my 7 year old boy, I read many of the reviews because I wondered what others thought of such a book. Readers either loved it or hated it, although the majority loved it. My son brought the book home from school for me to read to him because he thought it was something that I might like in spite of a warning from the librarian that it may not be appropriate. He was right I did like it. I started reading it to him and did not stop because I wanted to know what happened next. It was a bit sad at times, for my son especially. However, the story was interesting enough that we did not put it down. I would recommend this book with some caveats, it must be read in at least three or four sittings, it is probably better for older kids who are beginning to understand that not all books are about sunshine and happiness, and most important of all, don't read too much between the lines. You don't need to tell your child that the old lady is crucifying the rabbit but rather she is using what she can for a scarecrow. A number of reviewers thought that the nailing up of the rabbit on a cross was his crucifixtion. As an aethiest with a child who does not know the story of Jesus' death, my child had a different take; a toy rabbit was being used as a scarecrow and he does not scare the crows. Scarecrows only work when they look human and Edward is not a person, he is a toy rabbit so he doesn't work...yes I do get the part about him being saved...but from my son's perspective he was saved by a boy who wanted to make his sister feel better...an honourable thing to do. We are warned that she is going to die. I also wonder why so many people saw the dark side of the father....he was sad about his daughter dying (he cried) and he may not have come home because of many reasons...although many critics have him as an alcoholic...this story was set in the depression (the Queen Mary was built in 1929) and jobs and money were hard to come by and life was tough. Even Lolly could have been a daughter who had suffered too long from her mother's sadness and needed to make sure her parents were not seen as crazy by the community. Definitely a book that makes you think and can give you a chance to discuss some of the sad realities of life with your child. Some of the best books we will ever read are sad and this is book is no exception.

October 15, 2008
A Beautiful tale, beautifully told
I just finished reading this book to my 10 year old. I think it is an amazing, once in a hundred years kind of book. It is touching, honest and thought provoking. As an adult, you'll have to read it more than once to unfurl the layers and interpret the underlying meanings. Older children will pick up on the allegorical nature of the story, while younger children may be frightened by the sometimes harsh circumstances of Edward's life. I believe this book is ideal for children from 4th grade up. It should also be required reading for middle and high school English students as an fine example of the use of personification, metaphor and parable. Beautiful. Gives me the chills just thinking about it. I will read it again.

September 29, 2008
Especially terrifying for asthmatic children!
Lessons my daughter has learned from Edward Tulane:

Little children can cough and cough so hard that they cough up blood.

Little children can die from coughing.

It's okay to run away from home.

There are mean, mean adult people out there who crush dolls or throw them in trash heaps or smash them; who hit their children and tell them they are going to die; who throw homeless people from trains and kick dogs; who ridicule their elderly parents or refuse to let children keep a beloved toy.

The adults who do these things never ever get punished for their actions. Nothing bad happens to them at all; they just walk away scot-free.

Bad things happen, over and over again, especially to those who are young, good, and innocent; that's just how life is. Even when you are loved.

If someone tries to cheer you up or give you hope, just ignore them and they will go away.

If someone tells you that you should just end your life, you should consider it.

Since Edward is "just a toy", you don't have to feel bad for him. He's helpless. These awful things are bound to happen to those that are helpless. Like toys. Or forests. Or animals. Or children.

It's okay to be abused and miserable and pathetic and defeatist in this life because after you die it's all so lovely. You don't really need to even try to change your attitude. In the end, it won't matter how you lived.

Don't waste your time hoping for love because no one will love you until you're dead.

It's okay if you never try. It's okay if all you ever are is a victim.

Because the good news is: maybe, just maybe, in the end (whether that be the literal end of the story, or the obvious metaphorical end of life), all the torture and pain and despair and hopelessness MIGHT end well. And everything that happened won't matter. In fact, it never did. All that matters is the ending.

These are not the lessons I want my child to learn, from this or any other book. It is reminiscent of the old Grimm fairy tales; the old Christian tales of the bad things that happen to naughty little girls and boys; the violent and disturbing old `children's' cartoons like Tom & Jerry, and Road Runner.
If I want to teach my children perseverance, I will read them Little House on the Prairie.
If I want to tell them the adventures of inanimate objects without cruelty and despair (in other words, the challenges life gives us) I will read them Hitty; Her First Hundred Years.
If I want them to learn about love, I will read them hundreds of other stories that are positive and hopeful throughout: let's start with The Velveteen Rabbit. Maybe Edward should read the Velveteen Rabbit himself.

September 22, 2008
wonderful book to read together with your child.
This book was wonderful, tragic, sweet, and funny. My daughter and I read it together and loved every minute of it. The writing is fabulous and the illustrations are just so sweet. My daughter and I bawled at the completion of the book. It will be a book/memory we will always cherish.

August 28, 2008
Charming, heart breaking, and beautiful...
I just put this book down. It was absolutely beautiful.
I warn you, though, this story is probably not for the sensitive (as demonstrated by the negative responses). Still, I think this is an important story for the overindulged, entitled generations that we are raising. It is about love, and appreciation, and loss, and need. The characters are very real and have qualities in people that we all know.

I loved this book. It was so moving and I would highly recommend it.

August 24, 2008
Lost Doll advice!
I love this book, and highly recommend it as a read aloud book for schools, libraries and bedtime. But as I mention in my review at TheDollBlog.com, please be sensitive to the child who has recently lost a doll.
As any parent can attest, The Lost Doll or lovey is a serious emotional event in any child's life, and as wonderful a book as this is, (and it truly is a modern classic), no need to add to your child's distress.
PS: This beautiful book belongs on every doll lover's bookshelf as well!
*** Spoiler Alert *** (if you haven't read the book stop here)
Add to that the fact that the Doll returns, (albeit twenty years later) and you could raise false hopes in your child as well.

August 23, 2008
the miraculous journey of edward tulane
This book is truly my favorite book. It can be interpreted as a version of the Velveteen Rabbit, but I see it as much, much more. Edward is a china rabbit who is thrown of a boat and into the ocean. He is rescued, but soon he finds himself in the garbage. Everytime he is rescued, he is lost once again untill a true miracle happens. This book sad, sweet, moving. I really enjoyed it!

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