My impressions of this from childhood were that it was a vastly depressing story about the demise of a beloved stuffed rabbit. I think perhaps I was projecting a bit, how very sad I would have been if anyone had swiped my favorite stuffed toy and planned on burning it. But in re-reading, all my thoughts were of the rabbit, and not of the boy. And so, I was relieved to find out that the story doesn’t end badly for the rabbit at all, that there’s a bit of magic at the end that will make everything quite right.
Based on my own experience, I would say that some of the smallest listeners will be upset or concerned by this story. It might be necessary to stress that no one plans on taking or burning any of their beloved stuffed animals no matter how sick they get. The copy I linked to is one with particularly nice illustrations, courtesy of Michael Hague. The text is far more complex than what you would usually expect from a picture book, so it’s not one to grab and expect to breeze through before bed.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – None.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – In describing what it takes to become Real, the Skin Horse says that your eyes might drop out.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – The little boy becomes very ill with scarlet fever. The doctor recommends burning the Velveteen Rabbit.
