The Velveteen Rabbit
Front cover of the 1922 Heinemann edition
AuthorMargery Williams
IllustratorWilliam Nicholson
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's novel
PublisherGeorge H. Doran Company
Publication date
1922
ISBN0-380-00255-8
OCLC3690897
TextThe Velveteen Rabbit at Wikisource

The Velveteen Rabbit (or How Toys Become Real) is a British children's book written by Margery Williams (also known as Margery Williams Bianco) and illustrated by William Nicholson. It chronicles the story of a stuffed rabbit's desire to become real through the love of his owner. The story was first published in Harper's Bazaar in 1921 featuring illustrations from Williams' daughter Pamela Bianco.[1][2] It was published as a book in 1922 and has been republished many times since.[3]

The Velveteen Rabbit was Williams' first children's book.[4] It has been awarded the IRA/CBC Children's Choice award.[5] Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association voted the book #28 on the "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children".[6]

Plot summary

A stuffed rabbit sewn from velveteen is given as a Christmas present to a small boy. The boy plays with his other new presents and forgets the velveteen rabbit for a time. These presents are modern and mechanical, and they snub the old-fashioned velveteen rabbit. The wisest and oldest toy in the nursery, the Skin Horse, which was owned by the boy's uncle, tells the rabbit about toys being made Real by love of children: "Real isn't how you are made... It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real".[3] The rabbit is awed by this idea, but his chances of achieving this wish are slight.

One night, the boy's nanny gives the rabbit to the boy to sleep with, in place of a lost toy. The rabbit becomes the boy's favorite toy, enjoying picnics with him in the spring, and the boy regards the rabbit as Real. Time passes and the rabbit becomes older and shabbier but remains happy. It meets some real rabbits in the summer, and they learn that the velveteen rabbit cannot hop as they do, and they say that he is not a real rabbit.

One day, the boy comes down with scarlet fever, and the rabbit sits with him as he recovers. The doctor orders that the boy should be taken to the seaside and that his room should be disinfected — all his books and toys burnt, including the velveteen rabbit. The rabbit is bundled into a sack and left out in the garden overnight, where he reflects sadly on his life with his boy. The toy rabbit cries, a real tear drops onto the ground, and a marvelous flower appears. A fairy steps out of the flower and comforts the velveteen rabbit, introducing herself as the Nursery Magic Fairy. She says that, because he has become Real to the boy who truly loves him, she will take him away with her and "turn [him] into Real" to everyone.

The fairy takes the rabbit to the forest, where she meets the other rabbits and kisses the velveteen rabbit. The velveteen rabbit changes into a real rabbit and joins the other rabbits in the forest. The next spring the rabbit returns to look at the boy, and the boy sees a resemblance to his old velveteen rabbit and enjoys seeing the rabbit out in the wild.

Adaptations

The following adaptations have been made of The Velveteen Rabbit:

References

  1. Williams, Margery (June 1921). "The Velveteen Rabbit; or, How Toys Become Real". Harper's Bazar. New York. pp. 72–73, 108, 110. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  2. Andrea Long Chu (8 November 2022). "The Velveteen Rabbit Was Always More Than a Children's Book". Close Reads. Vulture. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  3. 1 2 Blair, Elizabeth (12 April 2022). "As 'The Velveteen Rabbit' turns 100, its message continues to resonate". Morning Edition. NPR. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  4. "Margery Williams - The Velveteen Rabbit at Embracing the Child". Embracingthechild.org. Retrieved 13 September 2009.
  5. Williams, Margery. "The Velveteen Rabbit, By Margery Williams, Illustrated by William Nicholson: HarperCollins Children's Books". Harpercollinschildrens.com. Retrieved 13 September 2009.
  6. National Education Association (2007). "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  7. 1 2 Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 341. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  8. "The Velveteen Rabbit". IMDB. IMDB.com. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  9. Barrett, Rick (27 February 2009). "Telemarketer sued for cell-phone calls". JSOnline. Retrieved 13 September 2009.
  10. "Atlantic for Kids presents The Velveteen Rabbit: A New Musical". Atlantic Theater Company.
  11. "ODC The Velveteen Rabbit". odc.dance. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  12. Clarke, Stewart (13 December 2018). "New TV Adaptation of Kids' Classic The Velveteen Rabbit in the Works (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  13. "The Veveteen Rabbit (U)". British Board of Film Classification. 17 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  14. Amatangelo, Amy (16 November 2023). "Apple TV+'s The Velveteen Rabbit aims to retain the 'emotional heart' of a beloved tale". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
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