Synopsis
Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who adored him completely. And then, one day, he was lost. Kate DiCamillo takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the bedside of an ailing child to the bustling streets of Memphis. Along the way, we are shown a miracle—that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again.- ★★★★☆
- ★★★★☆
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- ★★★★★
- This is a story of how a heart can change. In the beginning of the story, does Edward have a pure heart or a diseased heart? Is Edward concerned with others or himself? Edward has a diseased heart. He is vain, arrogant, and selfish. He is not humble, grateful, or generous. He is so consumed with himself (how he looks, how he is being treated, his comfort, his preferences) that he is unable to think of others, much less love anyone except himself.
- Why does Pellegrina’s story agitate Edward?
- Young Bryce takes a rabbit that does not belong to him and gives it to his dying 4-year-old sister (p. 120). Was that the right thing to do? Every action has three parts: WHAT we do, WHY we do it, and HOW we do it. WHAT did Bryce do? Brought a toy to his sister. He acted selflessly and generously. WHY did he do it? He wants to replace a doll his drunk father destroys. This is thoughtful and noble. HOW does he do it? By taking someone else’s belongings without asking. That is wrong. For an action to be right all three components (WHAT, WHY, and HOW) must be right. What could Bryce have done differently?
- Bryce consoles his sister, Sarah Ruth, by looking for falling stars, associating magical abilities with them and asking her to make a wish upon them (p. 138). Should we make a wish using an object? What tool has Allah ﷻ given us to make our “wishes”? We can make dua, asking Allah to fulfill our needs, anywhere at any time. Allah is the only one who can make a wish really come true. We do not need objects to make dua!
- Edward is renamed and reclothed by his various owners. In one brief instance, he is given a girl’s name and a dress to go with it, but his next owner feels the dress does not suit him and he is again referred to by a boy’s name. Most younger children will only see the humor in this situation. For children who might have exposure to incorrect and confusing modern gender ideologies, parents or educators may want to use this as an opportunity for clarification: It’s normal for young children to decide the gender of their stuffed animals and give them a boy’s name or a girl’s name. However, we are all creations of Allah ﷻ. He, in his infinite wisdom, has chosen us to be boys or girls, and our parents have the honor of giving us our names.
- Is there wisdom behind the difficult situations Allah ﷻ places in our path? The way we respond to these tests shape who we are.
- Edward is so preoccupied with himself, he is not very interested in anyone else. What does Edward Tulane learn from each encounter on his unintended journey? How does he change?
- When does Edward start to transform his attitude and his feelings? It is not until Edward sinks to the lowest depths both figuratively and literally, that his transformation begins.
- Along his journey, Edward gazes at the stars for comfort. However, when he finds himself lost in the depths of the sea or buried in the filth of this world, he is unable to see the stars. What constant do we have to give us comfort through our difficulties in life?
- Reflect on the doll’s response to Edward: “If you have no intention of loving or being loved, then the whole journey is pointless.” (p. 189) How can we relate this to our lives? If you spend your time in dunya solely focused on yourself, your life (journey) will be purposeless. Allah ﷻ has sent each of us for a purpose.
- As he sits on the shelf, Edward sinks into despair. When he finally begins to hope that someone will come for him, he returns home. How do Muslims view the idea of hope in a believer’s heart? The famous scholar and polymath, Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah ﷻ have mercy on him, said: “The heart, in its journey to Allah ﷻ is like that of a bird: love is its head, and fear and hope are its two wings. When the head and two wings are sound, the bird flies gracefully; if the head is severed, the bird dies; if the bird loses one of its wings, it then becomes a target for every hunter or predator.”
- The great scholar, Imam al-Ghazali, may Allah ﷻ have mercy on him, teaches us that we have two hearts—a physical heart we can see and a spiritual heart we cannot see. This story presents an excellent opportunity to discuss the differences between them. Edward’s self-admiration diseases his spiritual heart, manifesting in his lack of care or attention for anyone but himself. Each step in his journey awakens and develops his spiritual heart, and we see an outward change as he starts to listen to others and love them more than himself. It is from our spiritual heart that our actions flow and our character is formed. Our character becomes a reflection of this spiritual heart. Just as the physical heart pumps blood to sustain our bodies, our spiritual heart pumps the virtue or vice that sustains our character. Just like you need exercise to strengthen and maintain the health of your physical heart, you need the same for your spiritual heart. How do you develop your spiritual heart and continue to strengthen it?
Mindful Muslim Review
This is the story of a rabbit unlike any other. Edward Tulane, a toy rabbit, perceives himself to be perfect: made out of china and handsomely dressed. He is oblivious to the ugliness of his own heart—self-absorbed, riddled with vanity and arrogance, and unable to love anyone but himself. As he helplessly journeys through a series of misfortunes in which he sees others endure loss and grief, Edward Tulane learns to look at his own heart, his relationship to others, and his purpose. Each trial peels back the layers of his diseased heart, allowing him to actually see, hear and feel for others. His heart is ultimately transformed into one capable of looking beyond the self and truly loving others. It is through this transformation that he is finally reunited with the one he loves. This thought-provoking tale earns our Gold Star and is an excellent read-aloud. It illustrates a deep metaphor for understanding that Allah ﷻ has created for each of us an individual path of tests and trials, but the way we respond to those hardships, learn from them, and show gratitude for our blessings, brings us closer to knowing and loving our Lord.
Teaching Tools
Genres: Fantasy, General Fiction
Publisher: Candlewick Press
*This review applies only to ISBN number noted above.
