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.