Parents Reading Book Club discussion

2nd place in our July poll, and what an interesting title!

Ha Ha, yes, that has definitely intrigued me and got me curious on the book. Will be reading soon.

I've ordered this!

The Knuffle Bunny trilogy was my introduction to Mo Willems. All three are really good. This first one is reminiscent of A Pocket for Corduroy. But because Trixie is a toddler (and Lisa a young girl of 6-8), the story is more urgent (and funnier).

The illustrations are a mix of black-and-white photography with cartoon illustrations on top. It is a fantastic way to anchor a plausible story (the cartoon) to reality (the photos). It is also visually interesting. The photos make a great background that doesn't distract from the elements Willems illustrates. I know that I have run across another one or two books like this, but it is telling that I don't remember them.

I think if this were the only Knuffle Bunny on the shelves, I would have fond memories of having read it a few times to my daughter. But as a prequel to the second book, it is at the top of my list of gifts to new parents.

The second book has a fun twist and touches a higher concept than just "baby Trixie needs her Knuffle Bunny." I think the second book (Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity is genius.

The third book is good. I think it may try to do too much in a short space by bringing in the grandparents and the foreign country. But the story's resolution and epilogue is so touching that it may be my favorite. It may be my favorite, but I rarely read it to my daughter because I can't handle the emotions.

The strength of this trilogy bolstered my interest in Willems' other books. Of those, my favorites are Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed and Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct. The humor and the messages are classics.

Although I really liked That Is Not a Good Idea!, it is a joke that is funny the first time. Once you are in on the joke, it is interesting the second and third time. Then I found myself hoping my daughter wouldn't want me to read it again before I had to take it back to the library.

His pigeon series Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! was great when my daughter was two to three years old. I liked that it is an interactive book where the reader is supposed to tell the pigeon "no," regardless of how he pleads. Although some of the humor sailed over the head of my toddler, the books just don't interest her much any more.

We are now starting with Gerald (the elephant) and Piggie Today I Will Fly!. These are early readers with lots of repeated words that change meaning with the punctuation. I really wasn't expecting to have to explain punctuation to my three year old. These books, like Not a Good Idea, are first time funny. There are no backgrounds to be distracting, which is good for my daughter. Also, there are no backgrounds to be distracting, which is bad for me.

Back to Knuffle Bunny, these three books are Willems' best. I think you'd be cheating yourself if you don't read the second one.

In terms of the rest of Willems' oeuvre, you should not expect any of his other books to be remotely like them.

What did you all think of the book?

Mo Willems is a favorite with my 3 year old. This one, especially, is fun!