The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams - Illustrations by Donna Green
“Once you are real, you can’t become unreal again. It lasts for always.” -The velveteen rabbit
What’s in this review?
Summary
There are tons of Children’s books out on the market these days. It’s hard to figure out what books will interest our children and our grandchildren.
The best books are those that children remember all their lives - and as they become parents - these are the books they want to share with their own children.
Most of all, children need stories that add meaning.
Stories that tell them about love, about loss, about redemption. This can be found in the classic tale of The Velveteen Rabbit.
Three reasons you will enjoy “The Velveteen Rabbit"
1. Imagination:
It’s hard to know if the idea of toys talking amongst themselves in the nursery originates from the author, or if the author borrowed the idea from watching children play.
All children tend to give lives and personalities to their toys.
Love is the secret sauce that brings all of us to life.
2. The wisdom of the Skin Horse:
The Skin Horse has been around the block a time or two, and his body tells the story. He does not have any regrets though. His goals are not to keep everything shiny and new. Keeping everything the same does not make him real…Love makes him real. Skin Horse has zero regrets about the journey, because the destination is worth it.
Questions you might ask your child:
What made Skin Horse real?
Was Skin Horse happy because he was beautiful, or because love made him real?
“Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
3. The message of redemption:
The Velveteen Rabbit becomes real with Love, but he is not totally redeemed until he experiences loss. This speaks to how the process of redemption is usually born out of hard times.
When he is left for the trash pile, Bunny grieves for the loss of the boy who loved him, his home, his former life.
Out of his tears grew a flower, and as he appreciated the beauty of the flower, the nursery magic fairy redeemed him by giving him a new body and taking him into the woods to live with other real bunnies.
Bunny’s ability to see beauty in the flower while in the middle of sadness opened up a window for transformation. That’s how it goes sometimes. It’s hard work to find beauty while we are in the middle of disappointment - but finding those things that bring light helps loosen up the sadness a bit. The message of hope in the middle of messy can’t be shared enough when it comes to helping others survive the inevitable down times.
Sometimes all we need is a small crack in the wall for light to filter through.
Random thoughts:
“The Velveteen Rabbit” has some good opportunities for parents to share the idea about the importance of love.
Why was love more important than beauty to Skin Horse?
What changed Bunny? Was it the sadness, or was it happiness when he saw the flower?
Why was it good for Bunny to go live with other real bunnies?
What are some other good questions? Share them!
Resources:
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