The Miraculous Jouney of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

This is my living room floor on a daily basis.

I was never a big fan of stuffed animals when I was little.  Sure, I had a few go-to standby's....there was Tami, the stuffed dog my Dad got me for my 5th birthday.  Pete, my stuffed dragon from the movie by the same name and when I got older I think I spent a few good months with my Cabbage Patch doll, Gretchen.  I was more of a reader and board game girl, I guess.  Fast forward 25 years or so and I am now the mother of two children who each have more stuffed animals than I have coffee mugs.  That's a lot of stuffed animals, people.

So I was a little surprised that I liked The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane so much.  A friend suggested I read it saying, "it's quick, it is well written and you might tear up a bit at the end." Sold. Plus, I already knew I liked Kate DiCamillo.  Her Mercy Watson series is a hit at our house and so is her most famous book The Tale of Despereaux.   In short, my friend was right.  Here's the longer version.

Even though I was not one to play with stuffed animals much when I was young, it was easy to like this book right from the start.  Edward Tulane is a china rabbit living a rather posh lifestyle with the Tulane family in their home on Egypt Street.  Abilene, the young girl who cares for him, likes to dress him up, sit him at the dinner table and even tuck him into his own bed at night.  All is well until Abilene and family set sail one day on the Queen Mary and Edward is accidentally thrown overboard by a group of rowdy boys.  This is where the "miraculous journey" part comes in.  Edward's journey includes being caught in a fisherman's net, spending time in a hobo camp and living out some heart-wrenching days with a dying young girl. Edward never forgets Abilene though and yearns to be with her again.  It is a sweet story with a simple message and one I think everyone can relate to. 

If nothing else, this story has made me a bit more tolerant of my messing living room floor.  So what if my children hoard their stuffed animals (currently they are all in suitcases headed for New York to see the Statue of Liberty) like a crazy lady hoards cats?  I know that the days of the stuffed animal game, "Bed State Area" are limited.  And who knows?   Maybe their time in our house is the beginning of their very own "miraculous journey."