12/06/2010 - Comfort Toy

Almost every kid has a soft toy that he or she is deeply attached to and cannot live without. If by chance the soft toy is misplaced….all hell breaks loose at home!!! Sounds familiar??

Of course there have been numerous stories on a child’s comfort toy. One story that my son and I took an instant liking to is the Knuffle Bunny series by Mo Willems. In fact when I read “ Knuffle Bunny – A cautionary tale” the first book in the series….I thought he had already outgrown that phase……but I later discovered it was lying dormant in him only to be reawakened by this book.

I don’t mean to complain…but my son did regress back into needing his Winnie the Pooh during bed time post the Knuffle Bunny experience. In fact the Winnie the Pooh was rechristened as 'Knuffle Bunny'!!!

I liked the book in as much as it is a refreshing take on a child’s comfort toy and what happens in the event it goes missing. I enjoyed the first book specially for a realistic portrayal of a mother’s intuitive understanding of her child’s mind that fathers sometime lack. I remember I was so taken in by this book that I insisted on reading it to my husband as soon as he flew back home after a week of travelling on work!!! I know….. I can get a little crazy sometimes…….( my husband may feel “little” is underrated) !!!

The author Mo Willems wonderfully illustrates how as a parent, your day-to day life revolves around your child’s idiosyncrasies!!! This point becomes the highlight in the sequel “ Knuffle Bunny Too - A case of mistaken identity “ which shows how all parents are in the same boat when it comes to being subject to the dictates of their child. The series also traces her growing years starting as a toddler and maturing into a sensitive young girl.

Today we read the last book in the series called “ Knuffle Bunny Free - an unexpected diversion“ which is like a ‘coming of the age‘ book for Trixie, the protagonist. Abhay was super excited to find that he could relate to most lot of the events described therein – getting to the airport to board a long flight to a far -away place where grandparents live……just like his own. He loved the images of grandma and grandpa in the book. But he couldn’t quite comprehend the way it ended. The ending puzzled my four year old son who was left wondering whether the same kind of sacrifice would be demanded of him when it came to his knuffle bunny!!! I guess the ending is a little too mature for his age…may be in couple of years….he’ll be able to understand…or at least I hope so!!!!:-)