The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Encyclopedia
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is a 2006 novel
by Kate DiCamillo
. Following the life of a china rabbit, the book won the 2006 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
in Fiction.
Edward Tulane is a china
rabbit
given to a seven-year-old girl named Abilene by her grandmother. He enjoys a pleasant but vain life with his young mistress, who treats him with the utmost love and respect, until an unfortunate incident finds him falling overboard while vacationing on an ocean liner
. Edward spends 297 days in the ocean's depths, until a passing fisherman
pulls him free.
Edward is passed from hand to hand of a succession of life-altering characters, such as a hobo
and a girl with pneumonia
and her brother. Edward's journeys not only take him far from home, but even farther from the selfish rabbit
he once was. Edward is eventually cruelly broken against a counter top edge and then repaired and offered for sale in a doll
store for several years, and is finally bought by the same mistress he once new, but now older and more mature.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Kate DiCamillo
Kate DiCamillo
Katrina Elizabeth "Kate" DiCamillo is an American children's author. She is known for the Newbery Medal-winning book The Tale of Despereaux, the Newbery Honor book Because of Winn-Dixie, and the Mercy Watson series, plus numerous other award-winning and honored books.-Early life:Born in...
. Following the life of a china rabbit, the book won the 2006 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
The Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards were first presented by The Boston Globe and Horn Book Magazine in 1967. They are among the most prestigious honors in the United States in the field of children’s and young adult literature...
in Fiction.
Plot
The theme can be summarized by a quote from the book: "If you have no intention of loving or being loved, then the whole journey is pointless." (p. 189)Edward Tulane is a china
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
given to a seven-year-old girl named Abilene by her grandmother. He enjoys a pleasant but vain life with his young mistress, who treats him with the utmost love and respect, until an unfortunate incident finds him falling overboard while vacationing on an ocean liner
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
. Edward spends 297 days in the ocean's depths, until a passing fisherman
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
pulls him free.
Edward is passed from hand to hand of a succession of life-altering characters, such as a hobo
Hobo
A hobo is a term which is often applied to a migratory worker or homeless vagabond, often penniless. The term originated in the Western—probably Northwestern—United States during the last decade of the 19th century. Unlike 'tramps', who work only when they are forced to, and 'bums', who do not...
and a girl with pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
and her brother. Edward's journeys not only take him far from home, but even farther from the selfish rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
he once was. Edward is eventually cruelly broken against a counter top edge and then repaired and offered for sale in a doll
Doll
A doll is a model of a human being, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have traditionally been used in magic and religious rituals throughout the world, and traditional dolls made of materials like clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls...
store for several years, and is finally bought by the same mistress he once new, but now older and more mature.
Awards and nominations
- 2006: Boston Globe-Horn Book AwardBoston Globe-Horn Book AwardThe Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards were first presented by The Boston Globe and Horn Book Magazine in 1967. They are among the most prestigious honors in the United States in the field of children’s and young adult literature...
in Fiction - 2006: Parents' Choice Awards Gold Award, Spring 2006 Fiction
- 2011: Quill AwardsQuill AwardsThe Quill Award was an American literary award that ran for three years in 2005-07. It was a "consumer-driven award created to inspire reading while promoting literacy." The Quills Foundation, the organization behind the Quill Award, was supported by a number of notable media corporations,...
Nominee, Children's Chapter Book/Middle Grade
External links
- Edward Tulane publisher's website