The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo is an intermediate reader (ages appx. 7+) in the genre of fantasy. The illustrations function largely as chapter headers, but themselves are done in a representational, impressionistic style.
In Edward Tulane, we follow the story of a china doll rabbit after he is separated from his owner. Initially incapable of love or true respect for others, his struggles and the different families he meets change him for the better.
Activities:
- Draw two pictures of Edward: One from the beginning of the book, and one from the end. Make it a "find the differences" activity for others, and create a cheat sheet of the differences in Edward.
- Pretend you are Abilene. What questions would you ask Edward when you see him again?
- Think about the idea of respect. What does it mean to Edward at the beginning of the book and the end? Think about the different people he meets.
- Pick one character that Edward spent time with, and make a list of the ways they changed him, or lessons they taught him.
This book is absolutely wonderful, and a must read for children. I cried at a couple parts myself, owing to the beauty of Edward's miraculous transformation, and the different emotional experiences he undergoes! It very much is a coming-of-age story, but told in a very unique, whimsical, and charming way. The themes of stars, songs, and travel carry the transformative theme beautifully, and the chapter heading illustrations are enchanting. Similar books include Amber Brown is Not A Crayon (another wonderful coming of age story, told differently), and DiCamillo's other works, including Because of Winn-Dixie.
Bibliography:
DiCamillo, Kate. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. (2009) Candlewick.
Sarah, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is a wonderful book. Thank you for sharing this book. You did an excellent job. One activity I would recommend would be to have the students do a Quick Write. Write about the loss of Edward from Abilene’s point of view. How do you think Edward’s disappearance changes her life? This is just a writing to get their ideas down on paper so it is not a time to focus on punctuation, grammar or spelling. Another activity I would do after reading the chapter is acting it out as a Readers’ Theater activity. Students love this type of activity and it gives them a visual of how others perceive the characters.
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