Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion

by Mo Willems

Hardcover, 2011

Status

Available

Call number

813.6

Description

While traveling with her family to Holland to visit her grandparents, Trixie once again loses her beloved Knuffle Bunny.

Publication

Walker & Company (2011)

User reviews

LibraryThing member conuly

And I'm not entirely convinced this one really happened, either. The ending is a bit contrived - but who knows?

I'm putting a spoiler warning on this, and unfortunately most of the review needs it, so be aware if you read on (and care):

Trixie and her family are going to Holland (where they say the K

in Knuffle!) to visit her grandparents. Naturally, Trixie loses her Knuffle Bunny on the plane. How does she keep doing this? You'd think that by now she'd know better than to leave her bunny everywhere! Well, she was asleep, so I guess the real question is how her parents let it happen this time. At any rate, she loses her bunny, and there's no going back. The plane? Is headed to China.

And no, nobody is going to chase off to China to get a stuffed toy. There are limits. Oh, her family hugs her and kisses her and reassures her about what a big girl she's getting to be, and she KNOWS she's getting to be a big girl, but that doesn't make her feel any better.

And she has a fun trip, but that doesn't make her feel any better, and her grandparents even try replacing her toy with a fancy bunny, but that really doesn't make her feel any better.

Eventually, though, she comes to terms with this with a nice dream about other children playing with her bunny, and that helps. (This is on two fold-out pages. How much you enjoy this probably depends on whether this book is for home use (easy to manage) or classroom/library use (disaster!!!), but either way I suggest you use acid-free tape if you plan to save the book for generations.)

However, after she's had her big moment and her growing-up stage, she goes on the plane, which is the EXACT SAME PLANE and sits in the EXACT SAME SEAT and finds - her bunny! OMG! (So... they didn't clean this plane for, like, a week? Two weeks? Ew.)

And now she's such a big girl she's able to give her bunny to the crying baby to cheer him up. (Why couldn't she just LEND the bunny? Big girl, but realistic.)

SPOILER ENDING.

It's a good book, but as others have noted - a kid who's not yet in the age range where they can start giving up their precious toys? They're not going to get it. It won't be bittersweet, it'll just be sad, pointlessly sad. If they ARE in the right age it'll make PERFECT sense, but please - use your best judgment, as always.

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LibraryThing member brborsen

I think that this book is a great story to read with younger students. It has many options for discussion topics. This book makes it easy to open a discussion about finding feelings in a story and to talk about how people feel. The illustrations are amazing and it is an all together great story.

LibraryThing member awinkler

This is the last book in a series. The art in the front shows pictures from the previous books. Instead of drawing the background along with the characters he uses graphic design and puts photos in the background. The author is in the story, and his daughter is the main character. This book shows

the child's attachment to her stuffed animal but in this book she "grows up" and gives up the stuffed animal to a younger child who might need it more.

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LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey

That's a great little story. I read the first one, where she lost Knuffle Bunny in the laundromat, which was cute. Here she's going on a trip to Holland, and leaves her bunny on the plane. She manages to get through the trip (she's maybe 5? 6?), and even enjoy herself sometimes. Then on the way

home, she gets the chance to choose - and finds she's "big enough" to do without her bunny. And I absolutely love the postscript. I was actually crying, in the bookstore, as I finished the book. Love it.

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LibraryThing member mbackes10

Awesome illustrations! My first graders love this book!

LibraryThing member ReadAloudDenver

Another of Mo Willems' beloved "Knuffle Bunny" series, "Knuffle Bunny Free" takes you all around the world to Holland, China, India and Mongolia. Trixie learns that she's "big enough" and ready to let go of Knuffle Bunny and decides to give her Knuffle Bunny to the crying baby sitting behind her on

the plane. An extensive vocabulary builder with words like passenger, relieved, unexpected, diversion, oma, opa, strange, windmill, understood, realized, carnival and Holland.

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LibraryThing member Jpeshke

This is another great book from the knuffle bunny series. After losing and then finding Knuffle Bunny Trixie makes a bold and grown up choice to give her bunny away. This a great read aloud book about family, friendship and growing up.

LibraryThing member missbrandysue

Trixie is excited about going to Holland to see her grandparents. But after she gets to her grandparents' house she discovers she left Knuffle Bunny on the plane! She tries not to let it ruin her trip and her fun she's having with her family. Miraculously, as she's getting on the plane to go home

she finds Knuffle Bunny in the same spot she left it in the plane. But the baby behind her is screaming and not liking the plane ride so she gives him Knuffle Bunny...to keep. The book ends, though, with "A Note to Trixie" where it shows photos/illustrations of her graduating and starting a family of her own. The last picture is her opening a box with Knuffle Bunny in it, with a note that says "From an old pen pal. Love, Daddy" A personal note from Mo Willems to his daughter perhaps? Very touching story about growing up and giving!

I read Knuffle Bunny years ago when I was in college but have yet to see the rest of the series until now. I especially love this final book because it involves traveling, my number one hobby. The ending, where Trixie gives Knuffle Bunny to a child crying on the plane...forever is my by far my favorite part. And if that doesn't get you the continuation of Trixie's life as a mother is especially touching.

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LibraryThing member huyen

Love, love, LOVE this one as well! The first one is unforgettable. The second one is ok but this final of the series is worth adding to our collection. Adorable pictures as always but more touching and sentimental as Trixie grows up; daughter loved it and wanted to see real pics of Mo Willems

daughte

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LibraryThing member amberlanda

I loved this book! Mo Willems is one of my favorite authors and my students love him each year. I have read Knuggle Bunny but have never seen Knuffle Bunny Free. I think this is a great book to develop some discussions with young students about connections they have, why Trixie made the decision

she did, and how it probably made her feel (especially with students that have a special stuffed animal.)

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LibraryThing member StefanieGeeks

Made me teary... it's so darling.

LibraryThing member hmz001

Trixie and her family are off on a fantastic trip to visit her grandparents—all the way in Holland. It is about a little girl called Trixie who lost her favorite stuffed animal at the Laundrymat. It is so funny when she tries to tell her dad Kuffelbunny is missing.

LibraryThing member BKPietz

I enjoyed the artistic style of this book's pictures more than the actual text. I thought that the way he used real photographs then inserted his unique art into the photos was very creative, and visually appealing, and something I had never seen before. I did like how the girl in the story ended

up giving Knuffle Bunny to the crying child on the airplane, which shows children as very compassionate and thoughtful.

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LibraryThing member coachncheern

Trixie loses Knuffle Bunny and moves through the childhood sadness of parting with a comforting toy. Trixie is elated when Knuffle Bunny is found, but shows how she has grown up without her friend around. This touching finale to the Knuffle Bunny trilogy will have parents in tears.

LibraryThing member mfink1

This book is great for discussing with children how sometimes you have to let go of something you love, like a toy or stuff animal. The art in this book is phenomenal.

LibraryThing member mdonley

Trixie and Knuffle Bunny take off on plane to visit her grandparents. But where does Knuffle Bunny end up? Now that Trixie is a little older and wiser, see what decision she makes. The final book in the Trixie trilogy.

LibraryThing member YMcMillion

This is a good book about a young girl who did not wish to grow up, but once she came to terms with the idea she was able to help out more than just herself. She was able to help a younger child get through a rough time that she was able to overcome easily.

LibraryThing member irachelsweet

Characters: Trixie, her parents and grandparents, the crying baby in the plane, her baby

Setting: In Holland

Theme: Family, growing up

Summary: Trixie is visiting her Oma and Opa in Holland. When she arrives at their house, she realizes Knuffle Bunny is missing. Her dad calls the airline, but they say

the plane had left for China. She is sad, but tries to cheer up and have fun with her family since now she is getting bigger. But her family, including herself, know she still misses Knuffle Bunny. So her family gives her a surprise present: A bunny doll that walks, speaks, and dances, which fails to put her in a better mood. On the flight back, she finds her Knuffle Bunny, but generously gives it up for the crying baby. The story seems to end with her receiving a thank you letter from the baby boy, who becomes her first pen pal, but it does not until she grows up, becomes a mom, and receives a package from her dad. Inside there is Knuffle Bunny, which Trixie's baby boy happily hugs, from her old pen pal.

Review: It is interesting how the illustrator used real photos as a background and drew characters upon them. It creates a sense of reality. Also, children are given opportunities to vicariously travel Holland and China. The book was amazingly cute and warm fuzzy.

Curriculum ties: Social studies and geography (around the globe), decision making

Award: Caldecott hono

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LibraryThing member ashoemak

A wonderful story about growing up and letting go of one's security blanket. Mo Willems brings "real life" to young children in an engaging way.

LibraryThing member ergreenb

This is a really sweet book about a girl having to let go of her beloved stuffed animal. The illustrations were cool because the characters were hand drawn in Mo Willems' signature style, but the backgrounds were all black and white photographs. It was funny, sad, and heartwarming at different

times. The end is really sweet when there is a look into the future of knuffle bunny. I would recommend this book to an elementary school kid but anyone will enjoy it.

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LibraryThing member Jin528

With creatlvely well- organized illustarions, you can feel the love related to each other.

LibraryThing member hcurrey

A wonderful follow-up to to first two Knuffle Bunny books. Fun to read, and students love to make connections to their younger selves.

LibraryThing member kradish

Knuffle bunny gets out grown and passed on to a new child.

LibraryThing member lbblackwell

Trixie and her parents go to Holland to visit her grandparents. When they arrive, Trixie realizes something is missing - her Knuffle Bunny. This time, he may be gone forever.

The third and final episode in the Knuffle Bunny series, Knuffle Bunny Free is stylistically and structurally identical to

the first two books. In typical Knuffle Bunny fashion, Mo Willems creates fantastic images that are composed of black-and-white photographs and hand-drawn illustrations. A excellent ending to the series, this book is sure to please.

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LibraryThing member KimJD

A delightful conclusion to the Knuffle Bunny saga. And especially fun after getting to see Jacqueline Woodson speak earlier this week and hearing how Trixie and her daughter are real life friends and how the Willems and the Woodsons feature each of the girls in their various books.

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