The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo




Until I find other stories to read, I’ve been scouring through my old backpacks and bins of school supplies for some books I haven’t read for… wow, six years now. Nearly seven! I saw Janny’s blog post a while back on a tale about a china rabbit and suddenly the vague memories I had about the book became clearer, so when I happened to stumble upon my old copy The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane I just knew I had to read it again!


Edward is a snobby porcelain rabbit doll (oh, not a doll I guess—he doesn’t like being called a doll) who cares a lot more about his appearance than his loving owners. That is, until Edward finds himself lost, travelling from owner to owner, being treated both as a beloved companion and as a burden, as trash. With each new owner, Edward’s outlook on his life changes.


At a first glance, the book might just seem like a simple tale about a porcelain rabbit getting lost, but the story quickly turns into something deeper. It explores themes of what it means to love, to lose, and to grow. What makes the book so powerful is DiCamillo’s clean and emotional writing. She somehow manages to make you care deeply about a character who can’t even talk out loud. The story also isn’t afraid to have sorrow, either. Some of the chapters are a little heavier than I was expecting. But I feel like the sadness matters. It shapes Edward into someone capable of genuine empathy, even if he's just an inanimate doll.


By the end, the book delivers a message that’s simple but earned. That broken things can be fixed, and that no matter how painful love is, it’s always worth choosing. Overall, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is a short read but is surprisingly emotional. It’s the kind of story that stays with you, quietly, even after you’ve turned all the pages. If you had seen Janny’s blog post and were interested already, take this as your sign to actually pick the book up!


–L.J.

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