Margery Williams - The Velveteen Rabbit (1922)
Short Story – read as an app on the iPhone during July 2011
- 3 nods out of 5 -
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "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."
And so begins the Velveteen Rabbit’s quest to become real. The rabbit in question is not made of flesh and bone, but rather stuffed of sawdust. The love he seeks is that of a young boy; only for this love to be put in near tragic jeopardy by the book’s end.
Written by Margey Williams, and wonderfully illustrated by William Nicholson, The Velveteen Rabbit has been a favourite with generations ever since its first publication back in 1922. It has its fans within both libraries and those in the media and popular culture. And it is easy to see why when the author writes in such a simple and emotive style, along with the illustrator's amusing and fanciful images, reminding us of another time before modern technology, of Playstations and MTV.
The surprising thing about this book, reading it as an adult, is the way the reader is thrown into the story; as particularly shown in the mocking of our hero by real rabbits that live in the wild:
"He hasn't got any hind legs!" he called out. "Fancy a rabbit without any hind legs!" And he began to laugh.
"I have!" cried the little Rabbit. "I have got hind legs! I am sitting on them!"
"Then stretch them out and show me, like this!" said the wild rabbit. And he began to whirl round and dance, till the little Rabbit got quite dizzy.
"I don't like dancing," he said. "I'd rather sit still!"
But all the while he was longing to dance, for a funny new tickly feeling ran through him, and he felt he would give anything in the world to be able to jump about like these rabbits did.
Imaginative and whimsical, The Velveteen Rabbit is a joy to read throughout. Children books enable the reader – of any age – to step inside a new world and rediscover that element of magic. Although not all children books are able to entertain and play with our emotions to the fine extent as Williams’ short story. Read this story to take yourself away from reality and be prepared to enter another world.
Read it here:
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/williams/rabbit/rabbit.html
And better yet, buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Velveteen-Rabbit-Margery-Williams/dp/1405210540/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313535702&sr=8-1
