Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The

ALAN Review, Summer 2006 by Stevens, Jennifer

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo Candlewick Press, 2006, 228 pp., $18.99 Friendship/Adventure ISBN: 0763625892

Edward Tulane is not your ordinary, garden-variety rabbit. He is a china rabbit, made of the finest porcelain. He wears custom-made silk clothes and carries a small, golden pocket watch. Edward is the much-loved birthday gift of Abilene Tulane, 10, who includes him in all of the family's dinners and outings. However, Edward has a heart made of that same, cold china; he is conceited and selfish and doesn't seem to understand what love is.

That is, until he is lost, having been thrown overboard by some rambunctious boys during the TXilane family's ocean journey. From there, Edward bounces from home to home, from one life to the next, as the book progresses. From lying on the ocean floor to traveling with a hobo to lying in the arms of a sick child, Edward learns about love and loss and why hope is always important to have.

This is a brilliant story about the importance and challenges of true love and friendship. Newbery-Award winning author Kate DiCamillo presents a riveting plot that is wonderfully complemented by illustrator Bagram Ibatoulline's exquisite illustrations.

Jennifer Stevens

Louisville, KY