Edward Tulane is a china rabbit who belongs to a young girl named Abilene. He is vain and self-centered, ignoring the people around him when they talk to them, always thinking about himself. Then one day, he is separated from Abilene and goes on a years-long journey. This journey will change him in more ways than he can anticipate.

All I can say here is that I’m really, really glad that I gave Kate DiCamillo a second chance with The Magician’s Elephant. I really didn’t like The Tale of Despereaux, but I have absolutely loved the other two books I’ve read by her. Apparently I just wasn’t meant to get along with Despereaux! These others, on the other hand, have been beautiful. This one in particular made me cry twice. It reminded me so much of my own special childhood friend, a little stuffed dog my parents gave me for my fourth birthday, a dog that is now 27 years old and has survived wearing out and getting his face ripped off by real dogs and sewed back on my my grandmother. He has survived everything, and he still sits on my shelf where I can love him.

That’s what Edward Tulane’s journey reminded me of. I imagine many of us have stories about our childhood friends and the way they changed and fell apart over time. These friends become more precious and valuable with age and time, and I would say that Edward Tulane did too, both internally and externally. It was a very good book. I really enjoyed the experience of reading it.