Product Description

When it is time for Jeremy, a handmade English bunny, to be sent to his true home in America, he refuses to be shipped in a box. So he sets out to deliver himself to the little girl who eagerly awaits him. Jeremy's journey begins with a prayer and some handy words of advice from his maker. Along the way he encounters friends in many forms, and all the adventures he has lead him, eventually, to his final destination-home.

Illustrated by Teri Weidner.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #69499 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 80 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780142500040
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
Part Peter Rabbit, part Velveteen Rabbit, Jeremy is a gentle little tale of a handmade bunny with honesty sewn right in. Lovingly crafted by a young woman in England, Jeremy knows he is destined for America. But rather than be shipped off in a cardboard box, he decides to make the journey himself. With the help of a lonely old man named Mr. Pruneholt, a sea captain and his noisy parrot, and a sweet but slightly barmy old woman called the Village Dear, Jeremy makes his way across the sea and into North Carolina. Along the way he dodges grabby children, a hungry fox, and finds an unlikely friend in an owl. Written as a kind of allegory for a favorite psalm of the author's, the tale is also a mini-Odyssey, complete with a sea crossing, beastly obstacles, and the promise of home at the end of the peregrinations.

Jan Karon is the author of the bestselling Mitford Years series, including At Home in Mitford. Teri Weidner's adorable depictions of plaid-trousered Jeremy and his friends and foes are sure to appeal to children from England to North Carolina and beyond. (Ages 7 to 10) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly
Bestselling author Karon (Miss Fannie's Hat; the Mitford series for adults) shares a thickly nostalgic tale she crafted for her daughter, Candace, more than 40 years ago. Between serving up kidney pie and making tea for her husband, a young British woman named Lydia painstakingly fashions a stuffed bunny. Her creation complete, Lydia names the toy Jeremy and he springs to life. He learns that Lydia has made him "an honest bunny. That means that no matter what happens you will always be honest, for that's the way you're made." He also learns he has been promised to a girl named Candace in North Carolina. Rather than travel via a shipping box, Jeremy decides to find his own passage. He embarks on the journey without fear, after Lydia consults with her own maker and assures Jeremy, via Psalm 91, that angels will watch over him along the way. Karon's characters are as consciously quaint as her settings: the jovial old gardener, eyes a-twinkling, who treats Jeremy to a tea of English Rabbit (recipe included); Jethro, a sea-captain's parrot who can sing cowboy songs; newborn bunnies; and avuncular owls. Naturally Jeremy wishes to linger, but honest bunny that he is, he perseveres to deliver himself to Candace, all the while guided by Lydia's blessing. Unfortunately, the text is a heavy-handed mix of familiar fantasy and moral. Various plot elements quickly call to mind both The Velveteen Rabbit and The Tale of Peter Rabbit, but in the text as well as in Weidner's (Helen the Fish) plentiful color vignettes and illustrations, Jeremy lacks the distinctive spunk or emotional resonance of these literary predecessors. All ages. (Jan.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-Unwilling to be boxed and mailed to America, Jeremy, a handmade toy rabbit from England, sets off for his new home on foot. He has numerous small adventures on the way, which include encounters with grabby children, a sea captain's parrot, an owl, and two lost baby rabbits. He is protected from harm throughout his journey by his maker's blessing, part of Psalm 91, which she printed out and slipped into his pocket along with the name and address of the little girl for whom he was made. Comparisons to Margery Williams's Velveteen Rabbit (Doubleday, 1958) are inevitable. Yet, unlike Williams's writing, Karon's work is sentimental and passive. Both books have toys and animals that converse with one another, though Jeremy routinely speaks to adult humans on his journey as well. Then there's the magical ending in The Velveteen Rabbit and the routine ending in Jeremy-Candace presumably finds him asleep on her pillow on Christmas Eve. Nostalgic, full-color illustrations, sprinkled liberally throughout, support the text. If you are looking for Christian fiction, this is a good choice; otherwise, buy another copy of Williams's book.
Karen K. Radtke, Milwaukee Public Library
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Interesting story, beautiful illustrations and production
My wife is a fan of Jan Karon, and we've been reading this book to our children. They love the story and the characters, and the illustrations are beautiful and compelling - there are pictures on almost every page, and they really bring the story to life. We're enjoying it as much as the kids. This is a beautifully done book, and I'm glad to see that Jan made the leap so well to children's literature.

Excellent for children and adults alike.
My wife had read all of the Mitford books, so we decided to bring this book into our home. We had no idea what a great decision it would turn out to be! This is truly going to be a classic. I read it to my wife and daughter each night before bedtime. They both loved it. The characters are colorful, and jump off the pages into your heart. The pictures fit the text perfectly. My daughter said after seeing one of the pictures, "Oh, that's what the owl looks like!" It is also a chance for Mom or Dad to get those voice talents working. I have already purchased two more while they are still available. One for my daughter, my wife won't give hers up, and one for my 8 month old granddaughter so she can have it for this coming Christmas. Thank you Jan for a classic.

A Children's Classic for today
Ms Karon has the rare ability to write a children's story that is as engaging for adults as it is for children. Her talent in bringing Jeremy to life is as notable as any classic children's author. Jeremy comes to life in your imagination as the writer intended and he's the best bunny to come along since "The Velveteen Rabbit". I think they would have been very good friends. While this is a children's story, the age of interest probably would start at age 4 or 5. The illustrations are wonderfully bright and real while allowing a child to use their imagination for the "action". If there were more than five stars to give, I'd go to the top of any number.