Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Willems, M. (2007). Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 9781423102991

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Trixie and Sonja took their exact stuffed bunnies to school to share with their friends. The girls started fighting about their Knuffle bunny in class. The teacher took away their bunnies but returned them at the end of the day. However, the bunnies were switched. At 2:30 in the morning both girls learned they had the wrong bunnies. In the middle of the night the fathers and daughters met each other in town and exchanged bunnies. The girls had their original stuffed bunny and became best friends.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The sentences in this book are limited to one to three sentences at the most. The real story is told through the photographs and illustrations. The background photographs are in black and white and show actual scenes of a city, home, and school. The illustrations are in color, in a cartoon style that pop out at you. Mo Willems uses a non-structured approach to his drawings. He uses more whimsical and lyrical lines than fluid lines. The focal points are the characters and not the background. He takes a more elementary approach with pointy triangle noses and round marble eyes which younger kids can easily relate to. You can get a feel for the setting of the city from the photos. He drops his characters into the photographs’ shadows so they easily match and make sense. The illustrations depict the daily life of a pre-school to early elementary aged child. You can see the emotions through the illustrations and the photos give the background information you need to follow the storyline. I love the pages where Trixie is in bed. The clock on the wall is Knuffle Bunny with its ears pointing to tell the time. The book is cleverly designed to show what parents do to help ease the anxiety of child losing something very special.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 13)) “Too often, sequels come off as obviously calculated attempts to cash in on success; this offering, with its technical brilliance and its total and sympathetic understanding of the psychology of the preschooler, stands as magnificent in its own right.”

Ashlee Smith (Children's Literature) ”Mo Willems uses simple text and simple characters to bring out a complex message about the importance of friendship and individuality.”

5. CONNECTIONS
• Discussions can be shared about losing something special and then getting it back.
• Teachers can have a special bring your stuffed animal to school day. Older students can write about adventures their favorite stuffed animal has been on.
• Discussions can be made about going to school in the city versus going to school in a suburb or rural school.
• Books about losing something special:
Red Ted and the Lost Things by Michael Rosen ISBN 978-0-7636-4537-3
Rumble Tum by Stephanie Peters ISBN 978-0-525-42156-6
Long Tail Kitty by Lark Pien ISBN 978-1-934706-44-2