Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Sydney : Hachette Livre Australia, 2008.
Description
Uses rabbits, a species introduced to Australia, to represent an allegory of the arrival of Europeans in Australia and the widespread environmental destruction caused by man throughout the continent. A sophisticated picture book. Suggested level: primary, intermediate.
User reviews
LibraryThing member cablesclasses
The illustrations are raw in muted colors, mostly browns, blues, and black foregrounds. As the story draws to the climax, the pages grow darker, symbolizing the demise of two cultures that cannot symbiotically coexist. The simple wording comes to life with the artwork. Though the book jacket
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promotes the book as one to show a cautionary tale of nature’s downfall, the tale can also be used to demonstrate the triumph of one culture over another culture’s rights and traditions or the ravaging affects of war in the form of a precursor. Older readers can gain much by reading this along with Popov’s Why? Show Less
LibraryThing member Bitter_Grace
Wow. A beautiful, heartbreaking book. Although in picture book format, I believe this book, both in terms of story and illustrations, will appeal more to older readers. It is the story of a recently arrived culture devastating an indigenous culture, like the rabbits invading the land of possums in
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Australia. The illustrations are phenomenal. Show Less
LibraryThing member sanguinity
My local library classifies this as 'Rabbits - Juvenile Literature', but it should more properly be filed under 'Colonization - Juvenile Literature', being one of the few age-appropriate books about colonization for young children -- here, the invasion of Australia by non-indigenous rabbits serves
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as a metaphor for the invasion of Australia by the English. Shaun Tan's illustrations are, as always, rich with clever, nontextual commentary, but Marsden's text re-iterates all the usual tropes, such as writing in the first-person from an allegedly indigenous point of view, and closing with the oft-imagined plea for a savior: 'Who will save us from the rabbits?' Show Less
LibraryThing member Aridy
This book is a dark allegory as to what colonialism has done to native peoples. Here bunnies (obviously westerners) take over the land that once belong to happy native armadillos (native americans/ peoples of the world). It goes into the horrible things that colonialism and the west have done to
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other places in the world. Show Less
LibraryThing member elkeursin
This one was more of a "grown-up" book, but was great none-the-less!
LibraryThing member GirlMisanthrope
Smokin' artwork. First, allow me to comment on Shaun Tan's beyond-believable gorgeous artwork. I suspect if Dali and Parrish had a lovechild, this is the work that would be spawned. The way he captures light and shadow is what reminds me of Parrish.And a dash of Wyeth in the landscapes. And then
Marsden was inspired by the real-life ecological devastation wreaked by rabbits which were carelessly and accidentally unleashed upon Australia by invading Europeans. It becomes an allegory representing any country that has been invaded,conquered. Not only are the indigenous people eradicated, but the land, the ecology is destroyed.
This isn't a happy ending kiddie book; this is putting the behavior of conquering nations in your face. What have we lost by destroying rain forests, killing coral reefs, murdering Native Americans, Aborigines, and other indigenous peoples? All treasures that cannot be replaced. Yeah, I might have cried a little. But the painted clouds are sure pretty.
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the texture, the layers, the surrealistic clouds, the steam punk cows and horses. Marsden was inspired by the real-life ecological devastation wreaked by rabbits which were carelessly and accidentally unleashed upon Australia by invading Europeans. It becomes an allegory representing any country that has been invaded,conquered. Not only are the indigenous people eradicated, but the land, the ecology is destroyed.
This isn't a happy ending kiddie book; this is putting the behavior of conquering nations in your face. What have we lost by destroying rain forests, killing coral reefs, murdering Native Americans, Aborigines, and other indigenous peoples? All treasures that cannot be replaced. Yeah, I might have cried a little. But the painted clouds are sure pretty.
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LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
A gorgeously-illustrated picture-book exploration of the cultural and ecological colonization of Australia. When the strange Rabbits arrive, the indigenous residents aren't sure just what to make of them, but by the time they realize that their elders were correct, that these newcomers don't
The equation of European settlers with rabbits in this book is no accident, as another reviewer noted in her mention of the brilliant film Rabbit-Proof Fence. Rabbits were a species unknown in Australia until the arrival of Europeans, and they quickly overran the native flora and fauna. They proved so destructive that a continent-wide fence was built to contain them.
John Marsden's text, which takes the Aboriginal perspective for its narrative, is full of bewilderment and quiet grief. Taken together with Shaun Tan's evocative illustrations, this story is profoundly moving, all the more so because it is told in such a "simple" metaphoric style. Simply beautiful, that is...
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"understand the right ways," they are already overrun. As the land is transformed, the indigenous residents find themselves marginalized and oppressed - even their children are taken from them. The book closes with the heartfelt question: "Who Will Save Us From the Rabbits?"The equation of European settlers with rabbits in this book is no accident, as another reviewer noted in her mention of the brilliant film Rabbit-Proof Fence. Rabbits were a species unknown in Australia until the arrival of Europeans, and they quickly overran the native flora and fauna. They proved so destructive that a continent-wide fence was built to contain them.
John Marsden's text, which takes the Aboriginal perspective for its narrative, is full of bewilderment and quiet grief. Taken together with Shaun Tan's evocative illustrations, this story is profoundly moving, all the more so because it is told in such a "simple" metaphoric style. Simply beautiful, that is...
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LibraryThing member pbailey1980
A truly brilliant story about the British colonization of Australia and the interactions with the Aborigine. Parallels could easily be drawn to the colonization by the Spanish of the America's or the British or French colonizations of North America or really any other colonizations during those
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similar time periods. This could be a great story for opening up a history discussion or debate on ethics and foreign policy with young and/or reluctant readers. This could also be used by an art teacher to work through a interdisciplinary unit combining art and history. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cheryl_in_CC_NV
What would the audience be for this? A bleak dystopia that looks a bit like the Beatles' *Yellow Submarine* movie, is presented as a children't picture book... I dunno.
If it were shelved elsewhere in the library, so those of us who think that those bins that are down near the floor in the room
There are at least a dozen recent amazing books like this that libraries are buying - maybe there should be a special section for 'picture-books for big kids' - one of the bins could be put in the Teen section, something like that.
If it were shelved elsewhere in the library, so those of us who think that those bins that are down near the floor in the room
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painted in bright primary colors are for books for small children, (!) then I'd have been better prepared for this. I can see from other reviews that it's not just my library though - I suppose I could check what the publisher says - There are at least a dozen recent amazing books like this that libraries are buying - maybe there should be a special section for 'picture-books for big kids' - one of the bins could be put in the Teen section, something like that.
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LibraryThing member LibrarianRyan
The illustrations in this book immediately pull the reader to it. The story is one of colonization. It is very reminiscent of the colonists taking over America. And it works. And just like real life, no happy ending.
LibraryThing member jennybeast
I guess it's a picture book, but it seems too overwhelmingly tragic for that. A brilliant expression of the settlement of Australia, specifically, and the loss to native cultures generally. It packs a huge emotional impact for a deceptively simple book.
LibraryThing member booklover3258
Stunningly beautiful artwork and a realistic "scary" story about rabbits taking over another species land. Absolutely loved it from beginning to end.
Awards
CBCA Book of the Year (Winner — Picture Book — 1999)
Language
Original publication date
1998
Physical description
32 cm
ISBN
9780734410788
Local notes
An allegorical picture book about ecological and cultural destruction, illustrated with remarkable and highly stylized art. Small, reddish-brown armadillo/numbatlike creatures describe what happens when newcomers arrive in their homeland - their numbers and technology take over, with devastating effects and in the end, the land is devastated and the animals wonder who will save them.
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