
Growing up is not exactly a pleasant experience for any of us. Except when it is. Mo Willems Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion, the last installment of his beloved Knuffle Bunny series, captures this double-sided reality perfectly. While comic in a way that is signature Willems, the story is also a touch sad and maybe best read sometime other than bedtime.
Knuffle Bunny Free opens on Trixie’s ever-expanding world. She, her parents and Knuffle Bunny are taking a trip to Holland to visit Trixie’s grandparents. As usual, Knuffle Bunny gets lost – only this time, he winds up much farther away than another neighborhood. He winds up in China.
In the setting of a foreign country, Trixie is forced to come to terms with the fact that “she was getting bigger. Even if she wished she wasn’t.” While she has her own adventures in Holland, she dreams of Knuffle Bunny’s adventures around the world. The joy that her little green friend brings to the children he meets moves Trixie to expand herself. She likes sharing that happiness with others.
In the end, of course, the two are reunited. But now that Trixie is growing up, her heart has a new sense of things. When the needs of another child come to her attention, she knows that Knuffle Bunny’s friendship is best shared now, and she will be OK. “She was big enough.”
With humor and the grace of perfect timing, Willems balances the joy and sadness inherent in the complexion of growing up, bringing this chapter in Trixie’s life to a close. His always wonderful illustrations, which combine drawings and photographs, make this a story that is both real and imagined – a story to which we can all relate, no matter how far we’ve travelled.
Erin Quick, Books Blogger for SmartParenting
At this free art program for ages 3-6 the focus is on the process of making art rather than the finished product. Dress to get messy!
Splash and play with your little one in this fun morning activity. No registration is necessary.
Bring your babies and toddlers to this free story time at the Missouri History Museum.
See the Zoo's California sea lions perform acrobatic and athletic feats, including Olympic-style dives on a high-diving platform, flipper walks, frisbee tosses and plenty of surprises. While on stage with the sea lions, the Zoo's trainers explain sea lion behavior and positive-reinforcement training, in addition to the need for conserving the sea lion's ocean habitat.
Storytelling in the Museum is an in-person storytelling event happening at 10:30 a.m. at the Missouri History Museum. This event, perfect for the preschool set, features engaging stories with themes like Juneteenth, Sweet Treats, Summer and more. Storytelling in the Museum is free.