The Velveteen Rabbit
Author: Margery Williams
Illustrator: William Nicholson
Publisher: Egmont
A classic story, first published in 1922, about a toy rabbit who longs to become Real. His companion in the nursery, the Skin Horse, advises him that only the love of a child can make this happen.
At one level, the story describes the journey of a toy, at first splendid and shiny, to shabbiness and the way he goes in and out of favour with the child who owns him. However, there is a deeper philosophical layer too about the meaning of being Real - accepted for who you are and able to lead your own life.
For more philosophical toy rabbits, see: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo (9781406360660), Walker £6.99
