The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Edward Tulane is one of a kind. He is a china rabbit given to a ten-year-old girl named Abilene. One night, Abilene’s grandmother tells Abilene and Edward a story about a princess who never loved anyone and was turned into a warthog for her arrogance. The next day, Edward is taken on a ship with Abilene and thrown overboard. Thus begins his journey from home to home, as Edward learns how to love.  

He spends almost a year at the bottom of the sea before being rescued by a fisherman named Lawrence and given to his wife, Nellie. Renamed Susanna, Edward begins his journey of learning to care for others. Nellie tells him stories, and he actually listens to her. He finds that his time at the bottom of the sea has begun to change him. 

Next, Edward is taken from the comfort of this new home and found by Bull, a homeless man, and his dog Lucy. He travels with them, renamed Malone, and holds the secrets of the travelers that he meets. Once again, he finds value in listening to the people who care for him, and he misses them dearly when he is separated from them. 

Finally, he is found by Bryce, a young boy who gives him to his sick sister, Sarah Ruth, as a gift. Here, witnessing the love of Sarah Ruth before she dies, Edward truly learns the value of selfless love. He allows himself to be tossed to the floor and his ears to be sucked on because he knows that it brings Sarah Ruth comfort. 

A unique story told from the perspective of a toy, Edward’s narrative begins with despair. Edward is taken from the comfort of his home, and at times, he is forced to endure the cruelty of humans. However, he also experiences the care of humanity and learns that people are worth loving. He is able to let go of his obsession with his appearance, and he learns that to be loved is to be held, to be used. Edward’s perspective shifts from distant cruelty to a deep, abiding love for all the people he has met, and readers will follow Edward’s journey, becoming just as attached to him as all the people who have loved him. 

The story, which won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award in the Fiction category, is told in twenty-seven short chapters, each approximately three to six pages long. It also features illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. Through these images and DiCamillo’s words, readers will learn that even when life becomes difficult, there are always people worth loving and relationships worth nurturing. They will learn that even though something may be temporary, the love that was there will never go away. And they will learn that home exists in many forms, in many people. DiCamillo’s vivid writing and the timeless themes in The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane make it a must-read. 

Sexual Content  

• None 

Violence  

• A dog named Rosie grabs Edward in its mouth and shakes him. “Before Edward even had time to consider the implications of being sniffed by a dog, he was in Rosie’s mouth and Rosie was shaking him back and forth vigorously, growling and drooling.” Abilene’s mother tells the dog to drop Edward.
• Abilene’s grandmother tells a story about a princess who is turned into a warthog by a witch. The warthog is killed and butchered. “The men took the warthog back to the castle, and the cook slit open its belly.” 
• Some boys toss Edward over the edge of a ship. “The rabbit hit the water with such tremendous force that his hat blew off his head. . . and then he began to sink.” 
• Nellie tells Edward about her son Raymond, who died of pneumonia as a child. “He drowned inside of himself.”  
• A policeman kicks Edward off a train. “With one swift kick, he sent Edward sailing out into the darkness. . . Edward landed with the most alarming thump, and then he tumbled and tumbled and tumbled down a long dirty hill.” 
• To scare away birds, an old lady nails Edward to a pole. “She nailed his velvet ears to the wooden pole and spread his arms out as if he were flying and attached his paws to the pole by wrapping pieces of wire around them.” 
• A man swings Edward against a counter. “And he swung Edward by his feet, swung him so that his head hit the edge of the counter hard. There was a loud crack. . . And the world, Edward’s world, went black.” His head is broken into 21 pieces, but he is repaired.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

• None 

Language  

• None 

Supernatural  

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• None 

by Abigail Clark