The Velveteen Rabbit (Deluxe Gift Edition) by Margery Williams, illustrated by William Nicholson Ages 4-8 40 pages Doubleday January 2014 Hardcover     This beautiful picture book is a gift edition of the classic Velveteen Rabbit story. Bound with an attractive dark blue cloth cover, it features re-scanned art from Nicholson’s original 1922 illustrations. It’s a story about how a boy’s love for his “fat and bunchy” toy rabbit transforms him into a real rabbit. It’s a sad tale because the toy must be destroyed after the boy develops scarlet fever—but when a fairy springs from a flower that grows because of the bunny’s tears, the toy rabbit becomes real and is able to visit the boy the following spring. It’s easy to become sentimental about this story. The full-page illustrations of the shabby toy bring to mind feelings of loneliness and want. But this rabbit is strong—just as true love is—and as the story ends, we are left with a powerful image of the rabbit jumping for joy. We know the friends will reunite again. Decorative features in this book include titles under the seven color illustrations, designs around the page numbers, and a page where readers can document who gave them the book. This story will remain a favorite for many generations to come.     web reviews   Tanya Boudreau/2014 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)