History Literature / TheVelveteenRabbit

* GenderLift: Some stage and screen adaptations/sequels make The Boy a girl named "Andrea" or "Glinda". The ''CBS Storybreak'' version gave the (male) Skin Horse a warm, motherly woman's voice.

* NoNameGiven: The Boy.
** Averted in the 2009 movie, which names him Toby, in the 2023 movie, which names him William, and in ''The First Easter Rabbit'', which [[GenderFlip gender flips]] him into a girl named Glinda.
** Also averted in some stage adaptations. The musical version licensed by Music Theatre International names him Steve, while another version names him Andrew, with the playwright giving the option to [[GenderFlip gender flip]] him into a girl named Andrea.

* SwissArmyTears: Near the end, [[spoiler:the Rabbit is Real enough to shed a tear, which summons the fairy who makes him fully Real]].

** The 2023 films adds a twist: it's not being loved that will make the Rabbit turn Real, but the Rabbit's own unconditional love for William (the Boy). He proves it by choosing to comfort William in his bed while he's sick, even though [[HeroicSacrifice he knows it means he'll be burned afterwards.]]

* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: Several adaptations add some trouble in the Boy's personal life to explain why he becomes so attached to the Rabbit. The 2009 film gives him the above-mentioned MissingMom and WhenYouComingHomeDad father, the the 1986 stage musical adaptation gives him an AloofBigBrother, and in the 2023 film he's just moved to the country and is too shy to make new friends. These problems are usually solved by the end, which explains why the Boy doesn't need the Rabbit anymore.

''The Velveteen Rabbit'' was adapted into a video recording in 1985 by Random House Video; narrated by Meryl Streep, with music by George Winston. It received a Parents' Choice Award for Multimedia and was a Grammy award nominee. Also released in 1985 were two different animated adaptations made around the same time. The first was produced in Canada by Atkinson Film-Arts and narrated by Christopher Plummer, while the second was produced by Hanna-Barbera's Australia unit and premiered as a ABC Weekend Special. In 1976 it was very loosely adapted into the Creator/RankinBassProductions Holiday Special, ''The First Easter Rabbit,'' in which the rabbit goes on to become the Easter Bunny after becoming real. In 1984 it was part of the "Enchanted Musical Playhouse" series, where Marie Osmond played the part of the Velveteen Rabbit. In 2003 it was also adapted into a clay-animated film by Xyzoo Animation. In 2004, a Japanese adaptation in the form of audiobook + vocal album is released by [[http://canta-per-me.net/discography/velveteen/ Noriko Ogawa and Yuki Kajiura]][[note]][[Literature/FateZero Yes]], ''[[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica that]]'' Music/YukiKajiura. [[/note]] Last but not least, in 2009 it was adapted into a HumanFocusedAdaptation film that combined live action with animation.

** Averted in the 2009 movie, which names him Toby, and in ''The First Easter Rabbit'', which [[GenderFlip gender flips]] him into a girl named Glinda.

''The Velveteen Rabbit'' was adapted into a video recording in 1985 by Random House Video; narrated by Meryl Streep, with music by George Winston. It received a Parents' Choice Award for Multimedia and was a Grammy award nominee. Also released in 1985 were two different animated adaptations made around the same time. The first was produced in Canada by Atkinson Film-Arts and narrated by Christopher Plummer, while the second was produced by Hanna-Barbera's Australia unit and premiered as a ABC Weekend Special. In 1976 it was very loosely adapted into the Creator/RankinBassProductions Holiday Special, ''The First Easter Rabbit,'' in which the rabbit goes on to become the Easter Bunny after becoming real. In 1984 it was part of the "Enchanted Musical Playhouse" series, where Marie Osmond played the part of the Velveteen Rabbit. In 2003 it was also adapted into a clay-animated film by Xyzoo Animation. In 2004, a Japanese adaptation in the form of audiobook + vocal album is released by [[http://canta-per-me.net/discography/velveteen/ Noriko Ogawa and Yuki Kajiura]][[note]][[LightNovel/FateZero Yes]], ''[[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica that]]'' Music/YukiKajiura. [[/note]] Last but not least, in 2009 it was adapted into a HumanFocusedAdaptation film that combined live action with animation.

* DelicateAndSickly: Late in the story, the Boy becomes seriously ill with scarlet fever. He recovers, but all the toys he played with in bed need to be burned to keep the disease from spreading, including the Rabbit.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:The Rabbit becomes a Real rabbit in the end, but is separated from the Boy, who is left thinking the Rabbit was burned with the rest of his toys. The 2009 movie makes this a tad happier by making Toby aware that the rabbit became Real, but they still end up separated. Averted in ''The First Easter Rabbit'', where [[NamedByTheAdaptation Stuffy]] becomes a talking, human-like Easter Bunny instead of a wild rabbit and happily reunites with [[GenderFlip Glinda]].]]

* ParentalAbandonment: The Boy's parents are never seen or mentioned, only [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep Nana]], his nanny. Some adaptations [[AdaptationExpansion address this issue]] and make it a part of why the Boy so needs the Rabbit to love: for example, the 2009 film gives him a [[MissingMom dead mother]] and a WhenYouComingHomeDad father.

* GenderLift: Some stage and screen adaptations/sequels make The Boy a girl named "Andrea" or "Glinda". The ''CBS Storybreak'' version gave the (male) Skin Horse a warm, motherly woman's voice.

* [[AdaptationalSexuality Adaptational Gender Lift]]: Some stage and screen adaptations/sequels make The Boy a girl named "Andrea" or "Glinda". The ''CBS Storybreak'' version gave the (male) Skin Horse a warm, motherly woman's voice.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: It really was true that almost everything associated with a scarlet fever infection was burned. They don't do this anymore.

%%* PinocchioSyndrome

* IllBoy: Late in the story, the Boy becomes seriously ill with scarlet fever. He recovers, but all the toys he played with in bed need to be burned to keep the disease from spreading, including the Rabbit.