Review of Becoming Real

The True Story of the Velveteen Rabbit

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Clarion Books

(pub. 1.21.2025)

48 pages

Ages 4 - 8

Author: Molly Golden

   Illustrator: Paola Escobar

Character: Margery Williams

Overview:

"As a child, Margery Williams lost the father she adored and had to move to a city far away. She found solace visiting the animals in a wild and wonderful park near her new home, and in her toys—toys that became real to her. As an adult, she watched her children use their own imaginations to work through difficult times, and, inspired by their play, she wrote The Velveteen Rabbit."

Tantalizing taste:

"Margery's father gave her imagination all the room it needed to leap and soar.

Margery pulled big books off his shelves.

She traced wings, outlined paws, sketched ears.

As her scissors snipped, paper scraps fluttered to the floor.

Like magic! Animals played in the palm of her hand."

And something more: Molly Golden, shared in the Author's Note: "During the dark days of [World War I], Margery found fables, fairy tales, and poetry to be a source of hope. The stories and poems respected children's sorrow and embraced their joy. The writings gave Margery an appreciation of the timelessness of childhood."