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Book Review | ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ by Margery Williams

20 Monday Aug 2012

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The Velveteen RabbitThe Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ is a sweet little tale about a toy bunny who arrives at a nursery one day as the new plaything. At first he is an object of curiosity, but is quickly shunned when the other more expensive toys discover he is made of more inferior material. This greatly saddens the poor rabbit, yet one day one of the toys opens his eyes to a new concept; one where toys can actually become ‘real’. The toy rabbit learns that to become a real bunny, one must be loved by one’s owner; even if that means being loved to the point that a toy starts falling apart.

I started reading Margery Williams’ short story after I finished ‘Pinocchio’ by Collodi and whether by chance or coincidence, found it to be similar to that of the wooden boy. Both tales revolve around concepts of imitation versus reality, yet Williams’ tale has a ‘Toy Story‘ like twist, in that it is constructed in a world where toys come to life when you are not looking. This never fails to delight me, which means I have either not grown up… yet.

Williams has in her possession an ease of story-telling that looks and reads quite effortlessly but in reality is rather rare. The toy rabbit goes through a few trials and proves himself worthy of becoming a ‘real’ rabbit through his selfless acts as a loyal companion. In the end he discovers that it is not the material you are made of that matters, but rather what’s on the inside that counts. Like in ‘Pinocchio’, the Velveteen Rabbit is eventually granted his wish in becoming a real rabbit through a lovely fairy godmother and all ends happily ever after.

This is a perfect bedtime story for little ones to read aloud, with plenty of moral tales and a hugely satisfying, syrupy-sweet ending. I read the e-book version, which is again widely available. I accessed my copy through Kobo books. For books similar to ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ I recommend Beatrix Potter’s ‘Benjamin Bunny’ series and also L. Baum’s ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ (also a rather extensive series in its own right!’

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Book Review | ‘Pinocchio’ by Carlo Collodi

09 Thursday Aug 2012

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PinocchioPinocchio by Carlo Collodi

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Here is an extended version of the Pinocchio we all love and know that is jam-packed with lots of little cautionary tales and side quests. To be honest I like the Disney version a lot better as it has a more linear plot. There are moments when it got a bit confusing especially when strange characters would pop up only to disappear again. The biggest disappointment for me was seeing Jiminy Cricket die moments after his first appearance at the hands of Pinocchio himself! And if you thought that was shocking then imagine my dismay when he would come back sporadically as a ghost to warn our wooden friend of the error of his ways.

Other differences come in the form of characters like the Blue fairy, who at first appears to Pinocchio as the ghost of a beautiful child with blue hair. Collodi likes to take his readers to places where they can taste not only the sublime but also the abstract. There is no shortage of talking animals and objects which makes this a perfect bedtime read for little ones. Make sure you put on your best storytelling voice!

The main thrust of the story is still the same; how to be a GOOD boy and Pinocchio goes through many, many trials before he is granted his wish. At first Pinocchio is a very naughty so-and-so, in fact he really deserves a firm slap in some places! However he gradually learns never to take things at face value, to think and reason for himself and to curb his selfish ways by thinking of how his actions affect others. All very valuable lessons all children must learn if they are to grow up as responsible adults. Even though it was a little too detailed for my liking, Collodi’s story had an old world charm to it that is truly hard to find these days. At essence, ‘Pinocchio’ is a ‘quest’ story and draws many similarities with Dorothy in ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’.

This book is like a trip down memory lane for older readers, but probably best suited for youngsters who still believe in fairies and talking crickets.

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