Blog Post 8 - Contemporary Historical Fiction - Knuffle Bunny by Mo Williems

 

Cover for ‘Knuffle Bunny’

    I have chosen the book Knuffle Bunny by Mo Williems. This book takes place in the city and a little girl named Trixie went for a walk with her dad to the laundry mat. Trixie carried her favorite toy her Knuffle Bunny with her on their walk to the laundry mat. Now Trixie was very young as she had no language, so her daddy has a hard time understanding her when Trixie is trying to tell him that she lost her Knuffle Bunny. It wasn’t until daddy came home and mommy told him that the Knuffle Bunny was missing that he realized that is why Trixie is screaming and crying. They run all the way back to the laundry mat and find Knuffle Bunny in the washer. 

    This story is a great example of contemporary realistic fiction because these fictional characters go through something that could happen. I am willing to bet that most parents have faced this dilemma at one time or another with a child’s blanket, favorite toy, or doll. Young students will be able to relate to this story as they will remember a time this happened to them. 

    In the classroom the students can write about how the characters have changed from the beginning of the story to the end of the story. They should be expected to use text evidence to describe how the characters have changed throughout the story. 

    Mo Williems is known for his many stories for young children. He has written two follow ups to Knuffle Bunny called Knuffle Bunny Free and Knuffle Bunny Too. Mo Williems is also known for his Pigeon books and his books about the characters Elephant and Piggie. Children in preschool and Kindergarten love his series and can be found in most classroom libraries.