On its face, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DeCamillo is an interesting enough tale. It tells the story of the accidental separation of a china rabbit, Edward Tulane, from the little girl who loves him and the extraordinary odyssey that takes him home.
I can see many girls who would want to learn more about the title character—after all he was handcrafted in France with his own wardrobe of silk suits, custom shoes and hats (with special holes for his noble ears) suitable for every occasion. His travels—from the bottom of the ocean to the top of a garbage heap, are peopled with extraordinary characters like fisherman Lawrence and his wife Nellie. Lawrence rescues Edward from the sea, but it is Nellie who christens him Susanna and begins to teach him how to listen to more than his own inflated self-opinion.
As Edward moves on, never by choice, but always due to the actions of DeCamillo’s detestable secondary characters—Edward gets new names—Malone for his time with a hobo and his dog Lucy, and finally Jangles for his sojourn with Bryce and his little sister, Sarah Ruth. It is the death of Sarah Ruth that concludes the truly extraordinary journey of Edward—one that leaves a heart capable of happiness, love and empathy where before there had been only emptiness. That is the true miracle of this story.
Camillo’s elegant and somewhat stilted prose complement beautifully the impression of a china toy “jointed and joined by wire”. While Bagram Ibatoullini’s sepia toned drawings and muted gouache color plates are as outstanding in their style and detail as in their ability to convey the mood of each scene depicted. (Appropriate to read aloud from age 7 to 12). There is also a wonderful website to explore: http://www.edwardtulane.com/
I can see many girls who would want to learn more about the title character—after all he was handcrafted in France with his own wardrobe of silk suits, custom shoes and hats (with special holes for his noble ears) suitable for every occasion. His travels—from the bottom of the ocean to the top of a garbage heap, are peopled with extraordinary characters like fisherman Lawrence and his wife Nellie. Lawrence rescues Edward from the sea, but it is Nellie who christens him Susanna and begins to teach him how to listen to more than his own inflated self-opinion.
As Edward moves on, never by choice, but always due to the actions of DeCamillo’s detestable secondary characters—Edward gets new names—Malone for his time with a hobo and his dog Lucy, and finally Jangles for his sojourn with Bryce and his little sister, Sarah Ruth. It is the death of Sarah Ruth that concludes the truly extraordinary journey of Edward—one that leaves a heart capable of happiness, love and empathy where before there had been only emptiness. That is the true miracle of this story.
Camillo’s elegant and somewhat stilted prose complement beautifully the impression of a china toy “jointed and joined by wire”. While Bagram Ibatoullini’s sepia toned drawings and muted gouache color plates are as outstanding in their style and detail as in their ability to convey the mood of each scene depicted. (Appropriate to read aloud from age 7 to 12). There is also a wonderful website to explore: http://www.edwardtulane.com/
"—one that leaves a heart capable of happiness, love and empathy where before there had been only emptiness. That is the true miracle of this story."
ReplyDeleteAgreed. What a beautiful line to describe the beauty of Edward's transformation.