Knuffle Bunny

Willems, Mo. Knuffle Bunny. New York: Hyperion, 2004.

Using bright cartoon drawings super-imposed over sepia-tone photographs of Brooklyn, Mo Willems tells the story of Trixie and her father's epic trip to the laundromat where beloved knuffle bunny is accidentally left behind. The contrast of the exuberent and very contemporary drawings with the static old-fashioned photographs makes for a compelling book artistically, while the story itself is both charming and familiar. But not only is this the lost-and-found story of a precious stuffed friend, it is also a story about the challenges of communication and of Trixie's very first words. Yet another Caldecott Honor for the creator of the Don't Let the Pigeon... books.