Fuzzy Rabbit

Fuzzy Rabbit

by Rosemary Billam

As Fuzzy Rabbit's mistress gets other newer toys, he begins to feel neglected and unloved.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Rabbits

32 pages, Paperback

First published February 12, 1984

Reviews

[Courtney (BooksStringsandThings)]

This book brings up such strong emotions and memories of childhood for me. This is the book that taught me to read. I was 3 years old and my mother found me one day, sitting in a basket, reading it perfectly out loud to myself. Fuzzy Rabbit will always have a very special place in my heart.

[Christine]

Such a special book. It still hits me in the heart. In it, Fuzzy is the beloved rabbit of a little girl named Ellen, who worries that she doesn't love/need him as much anymore as she grows older. Then he learns he is still her very best friend, and she does a bit of mending to him and he is as happy as ever. As a girl who carried plushies to school and has done several "surgeries" on them as they aged, I still love this book as much as I did as a kid. In fact, it could be that this book influenced some of my feelings towards my stuffed animals, for I still view them as wonderful friends who have been with me through everything.

[Karlee Self]

This is one of my favorite picture books from childhood. It was always such a comforting book to read, and it tugs on your heart strings in the best way. I always hugged my stuffed animals extra tight after reading this.

[Alecia]

Author: Rosemary Billam

Illustrator: Vanessa Julian-Ottie

Genre: fiction picture book

Publication Info: Random House (1984)

Reading Level: Ages 4-8; early transitional

Topic/Theme: friendship, loneliness,

Issues Addressed: bond between a child and an inanimate object (Fuzzy Rabbit), variety of emotions are addressed

Classroom Uses: read aloud, guided reading, independent reading. I would say that children could also spend time in pairs reading this book.

Summary: Fuzzy Rabbit begins feeling lonely because he feels his little girl has abandoned him. Throughout the book, Ellen gets new toys that seem to take Fuzzy Rabbit's place. Fuzzy becomes extremely sad until Ellen tells her friend Mary that she wouldn't trade Fuzzy for the world.

Text and image: The illustrations and text work together in this book. The illustrations show an extreme amount of detail and they closely resemble what is occurring in the text. This helps readers figure out the context of the book.

Literary Devices: personification

[Amanda Casteel]

Author: Rosemary Billam

Illustrator: Vanessa Julian-Ottie

Genre: Fiction Picture Book

Publication Info: 1984 by Random House Books for Young Readers

Reading Level: Early

Topic/Theme: Stuffed Animals, Growing Up

Issues Addressed: Outgrowing toys/friends

Classroom Uses: Read Aloud, Individual Reading, Guided Reading

Summary: Fuzzy was her favorite toy...once. Now he feels like he's been abandoned. When he falls under the bed he wonders if he'll ever be found or loved again.

Text and image: The illustrations are colorful and support the text.

Literary Devices: Personification (fuzzy is very human-like)

[HeavyReader]

Fuzzy Rabbit has been around a long time and is starting to look a bit shabby. He doesn't go to school with his girl anymore and is left behind when she has her birthday party. But in the end, the girl shows she still loves Fuzzy Rabbit, and she spruces him up.

Sweet book. Nice pictures.

[Joy]

Fuzzy Rabbit is the tale of an older stuffed animal who finds himself falling apart and then is seemingly replaced by two new toys. In the end, his owner repairs him and he realizes that she still loves him.

It's kind of in the vein of Courderoy, Toy Story, and The Velveteen Rabbit.

[Lillie]

Favorite part: When they eat cake and drink orange juice