Jeremy: The Tale of an Honest Bunny

Karon, Jan

ISBN 10: 1402507860 ISBN 13: 9781402507861

Publisher: Recorded Books, 2000

Synopsis

Jeremy is a handmade English bunny with honesty sewn into his very being. So when he learns that he was made for someone in North Carolina, Jeremy hops right off to deliver himself to his new owner. But North Carolina is a long way from England, as Jeremy quickly learns. Before he can be safely home, Jeremy must rely on help from many people. There's old Mr. Pruneholt, who shows Jeremy where to find America; the kindly sea captain and his chattering parrot, Jethro, who see Jeremy across the water, and the unforgettable Village Dear. Most important of all are the family of young bunnies who teach Jeremy how wonderful it is to be needed. Though he'd love to stay with them, Jeremy can't forget that he has someone waiting for him and must keep moving until he arrives at her doorstep.

Jeremy, the Tale of an Honest Bunny is a story of adventure and friendship, full of humor, inspiration, and joy. It is the story of any child who is away from home-and the miracles found on the way to being safe at last.

Jan Karon says, "I wanted to do something for my daughter that would last a long time-perhaps even a lifetime. So I wrote a book about a bunny named Jeremy who went on a journey. In the story I included the consoling verse from Psalm 91, the verse we might all hope and pray for our children: "He will give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways."

Throughout the book there are detailed watercolor illustrations from acclaimed artist Teri Weidner. Designed with an old-fashioned charm to match the story's flavor, the book even includes a ribbon with which to keep your place as you read.

Make a place on your shelf for Jeremy alongside your favorite books from childhood-and then be ready to take it down from the shelf again and again.

About this title

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

About the Author

Jan Karon, born Janice Meredith Wilson in the foothills of North Carolina, was named after the title of a popular novel, Janice Meredith.

Jan wrote her first novel at the age of ten. "The manuscript was written on Blue Horse notebook paper, and was, for good reason, kept hidden from my sister. When she found it, she discovered the one curse word I had, with pounding heart, included in someone's speech. For Pete's sake, hadn't Rhett Butler used that very same word and gotten away with it? After my grandmother's exceedingly focused reproof, I've written books without cussin' ever since."

Several years ago, Karon left a successful career in advertising to move to the mountain village of Blowing Rock, North Carolina, and write books. "I stepped out on faith to follow my lifelong dream of being an author," she says. "I made real sacrifices and took big risks. But living, it seems to me, is largely about risk."

Enthusiastic booksellers across the country have introduced readers of all ages to Karon's heartwarming books. At Home in Mitford, Karon's first book in the Mitford series, was nominated for an ABBY by the American Booksellers Association in 1996 and again in 1997. Bookstore owner, Shirley Sprinkle, says, "The Mitford Books have been our all-time fiction bestsellers since we went in business twenty-five years ago. We've sold 10,000 of Jan's books and don't see any end to the Mitford phenomenon."

Edition details

• Publisher: Recorded Books
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 1402507860
• ISBN 13: 9781402507861
• Binding: Audio Cassette
• Language: English