The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Bagram Ibatoulline (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 3-6–This achingly beautiful story shows a true master of writing at her very best. Edward Tulane is an exceedingly vain, cold-hearted china rabbit owned by 10-year-old Abilene Tulane, who dearly loves him. Her grandmother relates a fairy tale about a princess who never felt love; she then whispers to Edward that he disappoints her. His path to redemption begins when he falls overboard during the familys ocean journey. Sinking to the bottom of the sea where he will spend 297 days, Edward feels his first emotion–fear. Caught in a fishermans net, he lives with the old man and his wife and begins to care about his humans. Then their adult daughter takes him to the dump, where a dog and a hobo find him. They ride the rails together until Edward is cruelly separated from them. His heart is truly broken when next owner, four-year-old Sarah Ruth, dies. He recalls Abilenes grandmother with a new sense of humility, wishing she knew that he has learned to love. When his head is shattered by an angry man, Edward wants to join Sarah Ruth but those he has loved convince him to live. Repaired by a doll store owner, he closes his heart to love, as it is too painful, until a wise doll tells him that he that he must open his heart for someone to love him. This superb book is beautifully written in spare yet stirring language. The tender look at the changes from arrogance to grateful loving is perfectly delineated. Ibatoullines lovely sepia-toned gouache illustrations and beautifully rendered color plates are exquisite. An ever-so-marvelous tale.–B. Allison Gray, John Jermain Library, Sag Harbor, NY
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 2-4. As she did in her Newbery Medal Book, The Tale of Despereaux (2004), DiCamillo tucks important messages into this story and once more plumbs the mystery of the heart--or, in this case, the heartless. Edward Tulane is a china rabbit with an extensive wardrobe. He belongs to 10-year-old Abilene, who thinks almost as highly of Edward as Edward does of himself. Even young children will soon realize that Edward is riding for a fall. And fall he does, into the sea, after mean boys rip him from Abilene's hands during an ocean voyage. Thus begins Edward's journey from watery grave to the gentle embrace of a fisherman's wife, to the care of a hobo and his dog, and into the hands of a dying girl. Then, pure meanness breaks Edward apart, and love and sacrifice put him back together--until just the right child finds him. With every person who taouches him, Edward's heart grows a little bit softer and a little bit bigger. Bruised and battered, Edward is at his most beautiful, and beautiful is a fine word to describe the artwork. Ibatoulline outdoes himself; his precisely rendered sepia-tone drawings and color plates of high artistic merit are an integral part of this handsomely designed package. Yet even standing alone, the story soars because of DiCamillo's lyrical use of language and her understanding of universal yearnings. This will be a pleasure to read aloud. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 228 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (February 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763625892
• ISBN-13: 978-0763625894
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (270 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,907 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 100 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dicamillo's best work yet!, February 15, 2006

By	kidsbookfan (MI, United States) - See all my reviews

Kate Dicamllo has triumphed again, writing what I consider her best book yet, "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane." I read it in about an hour and sat crying over the last chapter. The tears were happy tears, though, and the ending very satisfying. The story revolves around the character of Edward Tulane, a vain china rabbit who is loved by his owner but feels no love in return. A misadventure throws him out of his pampered life and into a path of a series of fascinating people, each one more lovely than the last. Edward's heart grows and grows until the question is not can Edward love, but can he love again after the depth of his heartbreak. Dicalmillo has a pared down narrative style that is refreshing and throught-provoking. "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" may be a children's book, but it is never childish. The message about loving and being loved is one that is important for people of all ages.

68 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely, but not necessarily for kids, May 23, 2007

By	Patricia Lundstrom "Camp Mommy" (Homewood, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I see a lot of the reviewers liked this book, but few of them commented on how they liked it for their kids. I know the review says 3-6 grade, but we got this as a gift and read it to our 6 year old. His reading level is quite high, so I was pleased with how the book was written. Her language, the way she puts a sentence together, is so lovely and beautiful. As soon as we'd finish one chapter, he'd be clamoring to start the next.

He liked the book, although there were some parts he may not have understood completely. Fine, I accept that. But there were some parts that I thought were a little rough for him, and maybe would have been rough even for a 3-6 grader. Specifically the story line with the abused children struck me as too rough to read as a kids' book in our house. Not that we deny to the kids that there are bad people in this world, but the story line was too hopeless to explain.

At the risk of writing a spoiler, let me say this: from the moment Edward starts his journey, each person's life that he touches is flawed, sometimes severely. And to this end, the happiness he brings into their lives is what is touching. But whereas Edward is redeemed by the end of the book, everyone else is still miserable, or in some cases, worse.

So my final thought is if you like Kate DiCamillo's writing, read this book. It's wonderfully written, and it is, indeed a weeper. But be prepared that if you read it to kids, the dark parts may outweigh the light.

53 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly wonderful story, February 17, 2006

By	Robert Busko (Waynesville, NC USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I have been a fan of Kate DiCamillo since the publication of her last book, The Tale of Despereaux. After reading that book I quickly read her back list and was even more impressed.

In The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane we are given a glimpse of arrogance gone wild. The china doll is made to feel special and is loved so much by his owner that he can't conceive he holds any other position than the center of the universe. Then, in an unexpected event, Edward Tulane is thrust into the depths of despair and only thru the kind acts of others is he taught the meaning of love. His various handlers and owners each contribute to Edwards salvation in small ways.

I found this story to be profoundly touching. I suspect that many grandparents such as myself will find themselves reading this story to our grandchildren. I certainly plan to do so at the earliest opportunity.

Kate DiCamillo is truly a national treasure. I look forward to future stories and the development of her as a great author.