Book of the Moment: The Rabbits

May 28th, 2010

The Rabbits, by John Marsden. Illustrations by Shaun Tan.

Wow. Just wow. This book is an allegory of the history of colonization. It tells the story from the perspective of a native group of animals being overwhelmed by rabbits in their own homeland.

It's a dark story, but one that is not culturally specific, making it a fantastic introduction to some of the more difficult historical subjects to discuss with young children. Sure to be a conversation starter, and should be required reading for people of all ages and cultures.

As a post-script: The art is jaw dropping. Using hard lines contrasted with organic and over-exaggerated features, Shaun Tam has done truly evocative work in this piece. This book is hard to find new, but should be available at your local library. Highly recommended.

-Skratch