Lara's Lit Review: Knuffle Bunny

Hi all - Lara here. As an English major, preschool teacher, and nanny, I've decided to become the official book reviewer here at The Full Mommy. Once a month, you'll get a wonderful book suggestion from me, pulled from my own literary experiences with the little ones. If you've heard of a book and are unsure whether it'll be a good one, send it my way and I'll take it out for testing in the prime demographic before giving my naked review.

(And no, this doesn't mean that none of these other wonderful ladies will ever be talking literature - just that it'll be my main focus here.)

Today, I'm starting with Knuffle Bunny, a personal favorite of mine. KB is a "cautionary tale" about the dramatic effects of losing a loved one. No, I'm not talking about death - I'm talking about literally losing someone, being unable to find. And when I talk about a loved one, I don't mean the child - I mean the child's favorite toy.

You all know how it is, when your child forms an attachment to a non-human object - a blankie, a stuffed animal, a pacifier, the sex toy you thought you'd so carefully hidden. Soon that object goes everywhere with your child (well, maybe not the sex toy). And if that thing disappears, there will be hell to pay. As there is when Trixie's beloved Knuffle Bunny is lost.

The story's cute, and my favorite part is when Trixie - who hasn't yet said her first words - tries desperately to explain her loss to Dad. Mo Willems (the author) does a great job of creating the nonsense words that so accurately express her frustration: "AGGLE FLAGGLE KLABBLE! Wumpy Flappy! Snurp." Don't tell me you haven't heard your child say pretty much that exactly; well, now you know what it means: "Knuffle Bunny is lost."

The pictures are interesting, as they're a composite of illustrations and black-and-white photographs with many things to look at in the background. If you're like me, you'll enjoy reading through the book while noting all the extra bits - "Look, that man's walking his dog!" or "Where do you think that lady is going?" And since the story is about losing a cherished toy, most of your kids will probably be able to relate to the drama as it unfolds.

All in all, Knuffle Bunny is high on my list of "Great Gift Books" for friends and family with small children. If you're specifically in the market for a cautionary tale, this is just about as good as it gets.

(Note: There is a sequel to this book that I'm not as familiar with. If there's sufficient interest, I'll do some screening and review part two.)