The RabbitsMun&Tucker
Agenda
ReadingTheRabbits
Infoaboutthetext
Plot
Themes
Merits
Challenges
ImportantConsiderationsWhenTeachingthisText
ShaunTan’sInterpretation
PossibleTeachingActivities
CloseReadingActivity
The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun TanPlotline:TheRabbits,apicturebookwrittenbyJohn
MarsdenandillustratedbyShaunTan,ispartlyallegoricalfableaboutcolonisation,toldfromtheviewpointofthe“colonised”.
Anunseennarratordescribesthecomingof‘rabbits’inthemostminimaldetail,anencounterthatisatfirstfriendlyandcurious,butlaterdarkensasitbecomesapparentthatthevisitorsareactuallyinvaders.
Genre:PictureBook
TargetAgeGroup:12-17(maturethemesandconcepts)
DominantThemes:ThegenerationaleffectsofcolonizationonAboriginal
communitiesEnvironmentaleducationandhumanity’srelationshiptolandPowervs.powerlessnessTheperilsoftechnologyandindustry
The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan
Merits of the Book:Simple andaccessible vocabulary(greatforELLstudents).
Short andsuccinct.
Detailedandexpressiveartwork isveryappealingtotheeye.
Focusesoncomplex andmature themes.
Makesstudentsreconsiderwhopicturebooks canbemadefor,andwhattheycanbeabout.
AwardedPictureBookoftheYear bytheChildren’sBookCouncil.
Challenges of the Book:Complicated,mature,anddelicatethemesnecessitatesubstantial
contextualization andscaffolding.
Potentiallyproblematicending indepictingthecolonizedashelplessorneedingtobesaved,needstobediscussedandchallenged.
In-depthvisualanalysismayrequirefrontloadingofvisualliteracyvocabularyandanalysisskills.
Thistextsbegetsquestionsofauthorialauthenticity basedonthesubjectmatter(ShaunTanisofMalaysian-ChineseandAnglo-Irishheritage).
Important Considerations When Teaching this TextMakesuretoinformstudentsthatsimplyequating one
exampleofcolonization,oroneaboriginalexperience,withanyother,isreductive andtokenistic.
Explaintheimplicationsofteachingatextwithanallegoryforaboriginalcolonizationauthoredfromnon-aboriginalindividuals.Whataretheimplicationsoflettingnon-aboriginalindividualstellthestoryofaboriginals?
Shaun Tan’s Interpretation
“TheRabbitsisastoryofuniversescolliding;oneculturedrivenbypowerfultechnologythattranscendsnature(muchlikeourown),andanotherwhosespiritisembeddedinanancientecology.
“TheRabbitsisaboutadeepenvironmentalcrisis,acrisisofconscience,andacostlyfailureofcommunication.Attheendthequestionofreconciliationisleftopentothereaderasitisintherealworld:Thefuture,asalways,remainsundecided”(Tan1998).
Teaching PossibilitiesExploretruthandreconciliation resourcesandtheeffectsofcolonizationon
generationsofAboriginals.PairwithNicolaCampbell’sShi-Shi-EtkoandShin-Chi’sCanoetofurtherexplorethetopicofresidentialschools,orwithThomasKing’sTheInconvenientIndian inseniorgradestoexplorecolonization asawhole.
Studentscanengageinaclosereadingofthevisuals ofthebook,andanalyzeimagesandsymbolsinrelationshiptothetext.
Studentscouldconductastudyofother“mature”picturebooks (e.g.TheIslandbyArminGreder,TheRedTree byShaunTan)andcomparethemtotheformandcontentoftraditionalpicturebooksaimedatyoungeraudiences.
Discusstheending ofthetextandwhyitcouldbeconsideredtobeproblematicinitsdepictionofaboriginalpeoplesashelpless.
StudentscancompareTheRabbits tothehistoricalpaintings andimagery thatinspiredShaunTan’svisuals(e.g.“TheLandingofCaptainCookatBotanyBay”byE.PhillipsFox).
StudentscantakeontherolesofeitherRabbitsorMarsupialsandactoutaseriesof tableaus thatretellorinterprettheeventsofthetextfromdifferentpointsofview.
Studentscanworktocreate soundscapes oftheMarsupial’shome,beforeandaftertheRabbitsarrive.
Theclasscanwatchandanalyzetheoperaadaptation ofthetext,consideringthemanyadditionsandchangesmadeintranslation.
Teaching Possibilities (Continued)
InyourgroupsreviewonespreadfromTheRabbits toanalyzeanddiscussthe visualsinrelationtotheallegoryofAboriginalcolonizationfromtheEuropeans.
Listsomeofyourobservationsonthechartpaper.
Youwillhave2-3minutesateachstation.
Close Reading Activity
Exemplar:
What to Look for in your Visual Analysis: Line
Shape
Colour
Value
Form
Texture
Space
Balance
Contrast
Emphasis
Movement
Pattern
Rhythm
Unity
Questions?
ResourcesBradford,C.(2011).ReadingIndigeneity:Theethicsofinterpretationandrepresentation,inHandbookofresearchonchildren’s andyoungadultliterature,Routledge,NewYork,331-342.
Greder,A.(2007).Theisland.CrowsNest,N.S.W:Allen&Unwin.
King,T.(2012).Theinconvenientindian:Acuriousaccountofnativepeopleinnorthamerica.Toronto:DoubledayCanada.
Marsden,J.,&Tan,S.(2003).Therabbits.Vancouver:SimplyReadBooks.
RightingCanada’sWrongs:ResidentialSchools– thedevastatingimpactonCanada’sIndigenousPeoplesandtheTruthandReconciliationCommission’sFindingsandCallsforAction.Florence,Melanie,2016.JamesLorimer&CompanyLtd,Publishers.
ShaunTan.(n.d.).RetrievedJuly30,2016,fromhttp://www.shauntan.net/
ShaunTan&JomdenPtyLTD.TheRabbits.ArvineA.LevineBooks:animprintofScholasticInc.
Shi-shi-etko.NicolaI.Campbell,2005.GroundwoodBooks:HouseofAnansiPress.
Shin-chi’sCanoe.NicolaI.Campbell,2008.GroundwoodBooks:HouseofAnansiPress.
Tan,S.(2002).Theredtree.Vancouver:SimplyReadBooks.