The Velveteen Rabbit

By Margery Williams and William Nicholson

The Velveteen Rabbit is the charming children’s tale about a stuffed rabbit who longs to become real, and the magic that makes his dream come true. A beloved classic since it was first published in 1922, The Velveteen Rabbit has since been adapted many times for television and film. This illustrated edition features the colour plates from the original 1922 edition.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Mar 3, 2015
• ISBN: 9781443445870

Margery Williams

Margery Williams (1881–1944) was an English American author of children’s books. Born in London, she moved to the United States with her family following the death of her father. Her most famous work remains the enduring classic The Velveteen Rabbit, which has been adapted numerous times for radio, stage, and screen. 

Book preview

The Velveteen Rabbit

THE VELVETEEN RABBIT

or, How Toys Become Real

Margery Williams

Illutstrations by William Nicholson

HarperPerennial Classics

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Dedication

List of Illustrations

The Velveteen Rabbit

About the Author

About the Illustrator

About the Series

Copyright

About the Publisher

Dedication

To Francesco Bianco

from

The Velveteen Rabbit

List of Illustrations

Christmas Morning

The Skin Horse Tells His Story

Spring Time

Summer Days

Anxious Times

The Fairy Flower

At Last! At Last!

The Velveteen Rabbit

T HERE was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid. He was fat and bunchy, as a rabbit should be; his coat was spotted brown and white, he had real thread whiskers, and his ears were lined with pink sateen. On Christmas morning, when he sat wedged in the top of the Boy’s stocking, with a sprig of holly between his paws, the effect was charming.

There were other things in the stocking, nuts and oranges and a toy engine, and chocolate almonds and a clockwork mouse, but the Rabbit was quite the best of all. For at least two hours the Boy loved him, and then Aunts and Uncles came to dinner, and there was a great rustling of tissue paper and unwrapping of parcels, and in

Reviews for The Velveteen Rabbit

[tldegray-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this when I was very small and could never get the story out of my head. It's sad and wonderful. Read it with a tissue at hand.

[regularguy5mb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my absolute favorite stories from childhood, and the last on my little trip down memory lane revisiting the books of my youth (those that I currently own, at least).What can one say about the Velveteen Rabbit that hasn't been said already? It's so tender, and tragic, and beautiful, and sweet, and touching. It makes you cry both sad and happy tears. And those lovely illustrations by William Nicholson are just wonderful.This particular edition, again from my childhood, is a beautiful hardcover in a slipcase. No idea where it came from (parents or a gift from parents' friends), but I know it was a constant favorite, and it remains one today.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A delightful children's classic with beautiful illustrations to enhance the story.

[1avidfan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Don Daily’s illustrations makes the classic, “Velventeen Rabbit” magical. I highly recommend this particular edition of the book.ww2

[krizia_lazaro_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of my absolute favorites. I recently shared this book with my son and I was so glad that be also loved it.

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Bought for a young relative, I didn't realise this was one to tug at the heart strings. Boy (the child remains unnamed) gets a stuffed rabbit for Christmas. Gradually the rabbit gets loved and, by the magic of the nursery, becomes Real. Lovely illustrations in a slightly old fashioned style.

[cyderry · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What a lovely little book which tells of how a loved stuffed rabbit becomes "real" just because a child believes. I have several stuffed animals that I too believe are "real". They are my companions on quiet days and enjoy reading with me.

[marycha-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The book is about a stuff rabbit that was well loved by a young boy who took him everywhere. But when the rabbit turned dirty and the boy catching scarlet fever, his parents wanted to get rid of everything that was contaminated, so the rabbit was thrown away. He finds the true meaning of being "Real" after meeting a fairy.

[mmoj_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was always one of my favorite books. The wonderful rabbit who was such a good playmate for the boy. That Velveteen Rabbit is the essence of childhood, of faith and that naive innocence that treats everyone the same (toys and people) and who can believe that toys can be made real if you are just loved enough. And isn't that what magic is all about?

[hmgthomas · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

BEST. BOOK. EVER.

[sportzmomof5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another classic

[mfurth1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Velveteen Rabbit is a purely fictional story. I loved this story both when I was little and now as an adult. The illustrations are very realistic and the story flows beautifully. The underlying message of the story is that if you love a toy enough the toy becomes Real, meaning it will live forever in your memory and will forever be loved. The illustrations match perfectly with the story. When the fairy was described as being born from a flower that grew from the rabbits tear, the illustration showed a beautiful rendition of this process. I like this book because it plays to the fanciful notions of children. Almost every child wants their toys to come to life and be real. (Thanks Toy Story) This book gives children the hope that it will happen. I also liked it because the illustrations really brought the story to life. The intricate details bring the story even more to life for me. I especially loved the depiction of the fairy at the end of the story. The third thing I love about the story was how well the story flows. Margery Williams does an excellent job of bringing the Rabbit to life through her story telling and eventually completely to life at the end of the book. This book truly made my toys Real to me as a child, and I can't wait to read it to my children, both biological and not.

[andreasj_53 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Avalos's thesis is in brief that Biblical studies has found that the Bible is culturally alien, historically unreliable, and ethically reprehensible; and that Biblical scholars systematically hide these findings from the public at large to secure their continued prestige and employment. Avalos also argues that the field is in decline and the only remaining service it can do to humanity is to hasten the erosion of Biblical influence in modern life.It's an interesting book - Avalos is an insider in the field he's condemning - but also a deeply annoying one. I agree with much of what Avalos has to say, but the way he has chosen to present his case is frequently exasperating. He makes provocative claims and clarifies them into something less radical. He makes lots of irrelvevant asides (frex, discussing textual criticism, he notes that the Leningrad Codex was written about 3000 years after the traditional dates of Abraham, which is true, but the topic supposedly under discussion wasn't whether the Codex can tell us anything worthwhile about Abraham, but whether it can inform us of the original form of the texts, which is vastly younger). He repeatedly fails to say just how far he'd go (frex, several of his arguments against Biblical archaeology would seem to apply to other subdisciplines too, but he doesn't tell us if he thinks that, say, Scandinavian or Polynesian archaeology should end).Thus, a book that can be recommended only with significant reservations. A pity, because when shorn of the rhetoric and when the author can keep on subject it has important things to say.

[linyarai · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A great classic.

[shahnareads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this story. It's so sad and happy at the same time. A great kids books. Every child should have this read to them.


This part is my favourite part.

“What is REAL?" asked the Velveteen Rabbit one day... "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When [someone] loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept.

"Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand... once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always.”

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Reissue of the classic as originally published in 1922 with the William Nicholson illustrations.

[callmechristina · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Such a wonderful little story. I was heartbroken when (***SPOILERS***)


The little boy got sick and they had to throw out all his toys because it was horribly catching.

[sommerkirk-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This classic modern fantasy is about a Velveteen Rabbit who is bought for a little boy and sent to live with the other play toys in the nursery awaiting the day they will be the chosen toy to be played with. The Velveteen Rabbit befriends a wise Skin Horse who knows everything about the nursery, and life. Life, as the Skin Horse tells the Velveteen Rabbit, is when you are made real by the love of a human. The Skin Horse suggests that when a child really truly loves you, then you become real, and the Velveteen Rabbit is really truly loved by Boy.

[cmjohnson-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Velveteen Rabbit takes you on a journey through the life of a plush rabbit who finally gets its wish of coming to life! It is a cute story that kids are sure to love! Imagination is a great thing to explore in children! How would you feel if your stuffed animal came to life?

[tapestry100 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Yet another classic that I recently discovered has slipped past me (or at least, if I ever read it as a child, I have no recollection), Williams' The Velveteen Rabbit is a beautiful book and one that I'm glad to have stumbled across as an adult rather than as a child. It all happened because of a quote:He said,"You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."This quote came across my Facebook feed the other day, and in discussing the book with a couple of friends, it then occurred to me that I don't think I had ever read it, so bought a copy that weekend. This book resonated far better with my adult self than I think it ever could have as a child, which speaks volumes for the magic of this slim little volume. A happy addition to my library.

[sweetbeebecky · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This classic book is one that never grows old, even though the time in which it is set and the rules that are adhered to may have changed. It is the story of a boy from a well-to-do family who is primarily cared for by a nanny, and who has a lavish nursery filled with toys, including a well-loved velveteen rabbit. When the boy becomes sick with scarlet fever, the boy clings to the velveteen rabbit for comfort, but when he is well again, it is decided that anything that may contain germs, including the rabbit, must be burned. The rabbit manages to escape that fate, however, and is so well-loved, that he eventually becomes real, which is what the hobby horse in the nursery told the rabbit would happen. This story is mostly realistic fiction, but the bit about the rabbit becoming real injects just a bit of fantasy into the story, and is so believable that a child might think it to actually be able to happen should he love a stuffed animal of his own enough. The soft watercolor illustrations just add to the dreamlike tale, and would be alluring to even the youngest child. It is quite long for a children's book, and I used to read it to my daughters in sections if it were for a bedtime story, or during the daytime if we wanted to complete the entire book in one sitting. None of my daughters ever grew tired of hearing it again and again, and chose to read it on their own when they could each read independently, giving a nod to its timelessness and charm. I have honestly never heard of it being used in a classroom setting, but I'm sure there are possibilities, especially if used as a read aloud to the younger set, but probably in short segments read over a few days time.

[riao-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is a beautiful story of a boy's love for his stuffed bunny. In this story, a boy has a favorite stuffed animal he loves very much. When he gets sick, all his contaminated bedding and stuffed animals are taken outside to be thrown away. The little rabbit cries a tear in which a fairy appears and because of the love of the boy, makes the bunny a real bunny.I LOVED this story and would definitely share this with pre-kindergarten and up as it is a touching story that is so relatable to many kids, as they also have stuffed animals that they love very much.I also loved the illustrations in this book!

[cpaavola-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a classic story about a toy rabbit who wants so much to become real. The rabbit is owned by a young boy who loves him very much and plays with him all the time. The rabbit learns from his friend the skin horse that toys can become real when they are loved and played with. Then one day the boy says that his rabbit it Real and that makes the bunny happy until he sees two actual rabbits and discovers that he isn't a live rabbit. Then the rabbit needs to be thrown out because the boy had been sick and he encounters a fairy who turns him into an actual rabbit and he is truly Real. This is a classic story that shows the imagination of a child and the great love children have for their toys, so much so, they sometimes seem real. This can start discussion about what makes something "real" How one person defines real may be different to someone else. A teacher could have a student journal about one of their favorite toys as a child and if it was Real to them or not. This book could be used in a unit on classic books, books on imagination or friendship. The illustrations in this book are the original artwork. There are only eighth illustrations and they are spread throughout the book but not on every page. Sometimes the picture comes before the text that is depicting or explaining it which can be confusing. The style of illustration is hand drawn ink and color sketches with minimal use of color. The colors that are used are mainly the primary colors or muted blues, brown and yellow hues. The illustrations have a messy, chaotic feel because the backgrounds aren't solid colors but almost scribbled in and it adds to the busyness of the picture.

[mihalevich · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Author Margery WilliamsTitle The Velveteen RabbitIllustrator Christopher SantoroPublisher Western PublishingPages 20Date 1990Summary of main plot: This book is about a boy that loves his stuffed rabbit. The boy got it for Christmas one year. For awhile the rabbit lived in the toy cupboard with the rest of the toys. The rabbit comes to life and asks the horse which is another one of the boys toys. "What is real?" On night when the boy was going to bed he couldn't find the china doll he sleeps with so his grandma gives him the rabbit to sleep with instead. The boy falls in love with this rabbit and sleeps with him every night from now on. They play together. Finally the boy had to give the rabbit up throw him away because the boy came down with scarlet fever and wanted every toy out of the house that all the toys he has played with must be burned. Then the fairy came and turned him into a real rabbit where he could go be with other rabbits and frolic and play. The tags and subject headings would ne loyalty and friendshipMy response: I love this book. I use to read this book many times when I was a kid I lived the pictures in this book too, It always made me sad when I came to the part where the boy had to throw the rabbit away. Poor rabbit. :(

[flamingrosedrakon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was one of my absolute favorite books when I was growing up.... This story is short and sweet while easy to understand so it stays with you even after so many years. The older you get and the more you mature the more the story will mean to you for you will be able to see the lesson that is being told. The author has a beautiful way with words that bring the story to life whether it is the gentle fairy holding the Velveteen Rabbit, the other rabbits skipping in the woods or digging under the sheets. And the best voice I have found in the story is that of the old horse. But the best part of the story is that it is real. I had a Real cat named Buttercup who was a last gift that I had received before my adoptive parents broke-up. And through the years with all the troubles, tears and pain that my sisters as well I went through she became just as Real to us and just as important in our own lives thus it is a memory-filled book for me.

[heidijones · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of the sweetest classic stories I have read. In the beginning, the rabbit is a gift given to the young boy. The boy does not choose the rabbit as his favorite toy, and he even forgets about him for a while. Then, the boy's grandmother gives him the rabbit to sleep with one night when another toy becomes lost. The rabbit has heard tales of toys becoming real with enough love from their owners, and he wishes for that to come true for him. The plot twists when the boy becomes sick with scarlet fever (the book was originally written in 1922, and it is ordered that all of his toys be burnt and his room be cleaned and rid of the germs. The rabbit becomes real while he cries, and he is rescued by a fairy who takes him to a forest where he can live a real life. When he visits the boy later, the boy notices that he looks much like his toy.I loved that the power of love gave the rabbit life- a true testimony to it's force!

[rachelbowers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A story sure to demonstrate how the power of love affects others. The velveteen rabbit is a new toy given a Christmas that gets tossed aside once other gifts are opened. Once the little boy becomes ill with scarlet fever his grandmother gives him the velveteen rabbit for comfort when another toy cant be found. It is also an important lesson on value.

[emilydrennan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Velveteen Rabbit is a story about a rabbit that a boy receives for Christmas. He opens the rabbit and loves it, but tosses it to the side once he opens more presents. The rabbit is put away in a cupboard and is often found on the floor of the nursery. He befriends a Skin Horse who explains to him that they more you are loved and played with by a child, the more real you become. The velveteen rabbit eventually gets the chance to be loved by the boy and has the opportunity to become real. This story is about how loving your toys gives them a purpose and makes them real for you. As an activity, each student could bring in their favorite toy and share it with the class.

[harrisrm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite classics, like the skin Horse, the the understands children's imagination of how toys can become real to them. After reading this wonderful classic again it was even better! I can really appreciated its message. This book "Velveteen Rabbity" one of Margery Williams first classics popular tales is about how a toy rabbit learns the true meaning of being real. I love this book, the whole concept of being real just moves me so much every time I read it!

[crunchymunchkin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"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."Like the Skin Horse, Margery Williams understood how toys, and people, become real through the wisdom and experience of love. Williams' tale about the transforming power of love is as universal as it is timeless.