Customer Reviews

The Velveteen Rabbit

5 star:		(181)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I seldom write reviews on children's books, although I love them with a passion. My children are now mothers and my grandchildren are past young childhood. However, I believe that somewhere deep inside each of us remains a small child that still loves fairy tales, cotton candy, and walking barefoot in the grass. This book was one of my children's favourites, along with "Charlotte's Web;" both were also my own personal favourites. When my children were six years old reading this book became a nighly adventure until I knew the words by heart. For the reviewer who rated the book with a one star due to a spelling error, my heart goes out to you; you have sadly missed something very important - the message. The book is not about spelling, editing or lack thereof; it is about encouragement and love.

The book tells the story of a toy, sawdust-filled rabbit who wishes with all his heart to become real. The message contained in this book is poignant, heart-warming and touching, and one that you will never foreget as long as you live. It is a story of beauty, wonder and love. Any child who misses out on "The Velveteen Rabbit" is missing out on one of life's greatest lessons. I cannot say enough good things about this wonderful, wonderful book and highly recommend it to children...and the grown-up child in all of us.

These are the days of Sony Playstation 2 and Harry Potter, activites that do not really ever try to tell a great story that also gives a lesson without being preachy.

The Velveteen Rabbit is heartwrenchingly beautiful. The Rabbit who yearns to be Real and whose love for the boy was unconditional is both imaginative and sad. I cannot read this book without a lump coming to my throat and being transported to simpler days when the love of a toy was the greatest thing in the whole world.

This is a book with an ending that is mixed, that touches on the ambiguity of life and loss. But there is also hope of a new beginning. And I think children can understand that and grow from it.

I cherish this book deeply.

The prose is engaging and entertaining. It is the best kind of children's story -- appealing to adults. There are no pictures in this edition, but the text stands up very well on its own, and if you have not read it, it is well worth the time--such a quick and pleasant read.

Daughter Anna (now 19 years old) loved this book. It was her favorite above all others. As we sorted through some old kid things for give-away purposes, we stumbled upon this old, well worn copy of "The Velveteen Rabbit." She insisted we keep the book for HER children.

This was her book that Mama (me!) had to read to her again and again and again. As soon as the last word was read on the last page, it was "Mama, please read it again!"

(how I miss those days, by the way!)

The book also has a powerful message about Love that children understand and cherish.

This is a wonderful book. No child should be without their own copy of "The Velveteen Rabbit."

Very sweet and well written story - makes me wonder why these and other childrens classics are not as widely read in schools or sold in book stores. I looked for one of my favorites, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, (Hans Christian Anderson) but could not find it at Barnes & Noble. It's too bad because these classics are so much better written with more life lessons for kids than today's popular fiction.

I've never read this children's book, but as I have a Kindle, I can download it for free. Now I know why it's such a classic. Such a lovely and well written story.

I make sure I use this book with each class I teach--3rd and4th graders. They always get it--that love makes us real, too. Theymake the connection between the Skin Horse becoming shabby and people getting old. I always bring in my stuffed velveteen rabbit I bought years ago and it starts making the rounds and popping up on different children's laps. It is a pleasure to see them become attached to the rabbit instead of "mechanical toys that were very superior, and looked down upon everyone else." They also relate to the lessons the Velveteen Rabbit learns from the Skin Horse about how becoming real is a painful process sometimes and can take a long time.

This is a heartwarming story about a toy rabbit filled with sawdust that wants to be real. He realizes what the meaning of "real" is when his owner, a young boy, gives him the answer for which he searches. My wife bought this book for me last month. I missed it as a child. I've learned the lesson in this book in traditional ways, by trial and error. I would have loved to have this treasure as a child and thank my beautiful wife, Lori, for giving it to me, now. Only real love has any meaning or longevity, at all. I ask you readers to not pass up this gem of a book. It is a must for children and adults alike.

This was my mother's favorite story, so she read it to me as a child and I really never appreciated it as much as when I was older and read it to my children... maybe that's the way it's supposed to go? My son used to grab this book from his shelf a lot for me to read to him - and it was just to see mommy cry (I always cry when I read this book), he knew the book by heart and coached me when my throat was too tight to speak through the 'emotional' parts. He surprised me last year in 1st grade when he took the book into class to read to his classmates (I didn't know he took it). His teacher called me up telling me how much of a good reader he is... and that he cried when he read the book to his classmates... wow. Books seldom leave a mark, but this one sure does... sorta like a legacy. This book makes me 'real'.

I love the story and it's my friend's favorite book. I was hunting for a gift for her that she'd like and ran into the cover of this thing wich is probably half of what drove you to buying it as well. After I bought it, I discovered that it only has seventeen pages. (The Original Book as like 47) And despite what the cover would suggest, some of the illustration is a bit .. "crappy". I'm not trying to be a tough critic. The story goes along just fine untill the fairy gets into the picture she looks like a goldenbooks gingerbread-man and the diologue drops flat right there and I could almost see a big red "ADAPTATION" stamp across the page. If you want to read your kids or significant others "processed classics", then this is right up your alley. Enjoy.