In the beginning of the book, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Edward is more enamored of himself than he is of anybody else. He's a very fine rabbit; he's been constructed incredibly well, and he has a wardrobe of amazing clothing. He's arrogant, and he doesn't care whether Abilene loves him or not. As the journey progresses, as he gets passed from hand to hand, he learns what it means to love. He gets more and more bedraggled, and his clothing is lost; yet he becomes finer in soul and heart than he was at the beginning of the journey.
Kate DiCamilloLove is in all of the books, and that's the connective tissue between them. There's a lot of hope in me; I can feel it. These stories are balls of light for me.
Kate DiCamilloThere ain't no way you can hold onto something that wants to go, you understand? You can only love what you got while you got it.
Kate DiCamilloReading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift.
Kate DiCamilloThe world is dark, and light is precious. Come closer, dear reader. You must trust me. I am telling you a story.
Kate DiCamilloThe book [The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane] is about the fact that living in this world means that your heart is necessarily going to get broken. But the book also says that's okay. That's the only way to live a truly human life - with your heart getting broken - and eventually getting flooded with love.
Kate DiCamillo