The Velveteen Rabbit or How Toys Become Real by: Margery Williams

Book Genre: Fiction

Publishing Info: Courage Books (40 pages)

Awards or Honors: IRA/CBC Children's Choice Award

Summary: The story begins at Christmas and a young boy receives a velveteen rabbit in his stocking. He loves Rabbit and plays with it for a couple of hours, until his relatives come for dinner and bring other presents. The rabbit is forgotten and ends up living in the toy cupboard with all the other toys. Rabbit is shy and doesn't make many friends among the toys. His only friend is Skin Horse, an old thread bare worn horse toy that belonged to the Boy's Uncle. Skin Horse is kind and friendly to Rabbit. He teaches Rabbit what it is to be Real and how the nursery room magic can make him become Real. One day Nana, the person who rules the nursery, is putting the Boy to bed and he wants a toy to sleep with. In haste, she grabs the first toy she finds, Rabbit. At first Rabbit doesn't like sleeping with the Boy because he gets mashed, poked, squashed, and rolled on. However, he comes to love being close with the Boy. The Boy and Rabbit become inseparable. They play, eat, and sleep together. Rabbit is slowly becoming very worn from all the love that the Boy gives him. He thinks that he is becoming Real just like Skin Horse had said. However, Rabbit meets some real rabbits outside one day and finds out that he is not Real, he is still a toy. Then one day the Boy becomes very sick with Scarlet Fever. Rabbit stays faithfully by his side and he eventually gets better. The doctor comes by for a final check-up visit and instructs Nana to burn all the toys and linens that the Boy has been in contact with. She does as she is told and places the linens, old picture books, and Rabbit in a sack to be burned. That night as Rabbit is lying in the night air, lonely and shivering, he becomes very sad. As he thinks of his time with the Boy a tear slowly slides off his nose and onto the ground. Suddenly a flower begins to grow from the tear and the Nursery Magic Fairy appears. She takes Rabbit into the woods and makes him really Real. He lives in the woods with all the other rabbits in Rabbitland for the rest of his life.

Personal Rating & Reason: **** Great! This is an awesome, touching story! I was in tears when Rabbit was tossed out to be burned. And again when he actually got to become real. I would recommend this story to any classroom, Kindergarten through college. It has such a warm loving story of wanting to be loved and accepted. There are many life lessons to be learned during this excellent read.

Reading Level: K-3 (3.6 AR)

Reading Interest: ages 4-8 years

Possible Uses: There are several uses for this book across the curriculum.

Art: You could have the children make a sock toy with socks, sawdust/news paper/ cotton stuffing and markers. Plus, you could have the children use construction paper and brats to create some paper movable rabbits.

Science: This book could be used as an introduction into what makes something alive. Then you could teach about the heart, brain, muscles, etc. Here you could do a group project telling why Rabbit was not alive "Real".

Another activity would be to use demonstrations. I would bring in my pet rabbit Chocolate for the class to see. Possibly have a stuffed rabbit and Chocolate together in Circle Time. Have the children list alike vs. different or have them chart teal vs. toy.

Writing: You could have the children draw and write about their favorite stuffed toy. Or you could have the children create their own story of a time when their favorite toy became Real. You could have the children write an extended ending. For example, at the end of the story Rabbit and Boy see each other again and the Boy thinks he looks a lot like his old stuffed toy. Here you could have the children extend the story and possibly have them play together, talk with one another, or the Boy catches Rabbit and takes him home as a real pet. The endings are infinite!

Potential Problems: None at this time.