The Rabbit and the Shadow - a review

The Rabbit and the Shadow 

by Mélanie Rutten

Eerdmans, 2018

(originally published in France)

It’s a good idea to step out of our cultural bubbles from time to time. One way to do that is experiencing books from other countries. These books often have an instant feel of “otherness,” when compared to our own American canon of children’s literature. Some examples are the dark humour of the British, Jim: Who Ran Away from his Nurse and Was Eaten by a Lion (yes, he does get eaten!) , the family realism of Spain’s, Manolito Four-Eyes , and the beautiful, cutting and cautionary,  Queen of the Frogs from Portugal. 

When I entered my name to win a copy of The Rabbit and the Shadow by Mélanie Rutten, I did so because even on my laptop screen, I could tell that the illustrations are exquisite. When I won a copy from LibraryThing Early Reviewers, I was also pleased to see that it was originally published in France.

The pen and watercolor illustrations are in gentle hues that fit the story’s outdoor setting. Most are small vignettes that expertly accompany the nearby text.  Rabbit is the story’s main character, but his life becomes entwined with those of the Soldier, the Cat, the Book, a Shadow, and the Stag, Rabbit’s caregiver. When the Soldier forcibly takes Rabbit from his hiding hole, a small vignette manages to encapsulate the vastness of the unknown world, the fierceness of the Soldier and the apprehension of the Rabbit.

The familiar valley lies behind them, and a red sky ahead hints at a dangerous future as the Soldier points his sword toward the future with the Rabbit in his grasp,

“And he dragged the Rabbit off, shouting: ‘On our own! On our own!’ “

The Rabbit and the Shadow is a lengthy, thoughtful book that is best suited for older children.  Although the Soldier has abducted the Rabbit, the Soldier bears him no ill will. The Soldier is merely angry, and the reader will find that the Soldier harbors a secret. The Cat suffers from a recurring dream that will not resolve; the Book searches for knowledge. The Stag searches for his Rabbit. The Shadow searches for nothing, and is ironically enlightening, as Rutten explores the weighty issues of anger, responsibility, separation, and growing up.

Artfully placed in the center of a beautiful yellow-hued palette, are the following words, surrounded by a dreamlike border illustrating the characters’ thoughts

“‘What do you think about

 to feel less afraid?’

asked the Rabbit.

‘Nice things from the past,’

 replied the Soldier,

 ‘like eating rice pudding cake

 when I was little.’

‘You’re still little!’ said the Cat. ‘Me, I think

 about nice things to come.’

‘Like when you’ll have a mustache?’

 teased the Soldier.

The Cat thought about his dream.

They all though for a moment,

about their dreams. “

I don’t know if The Rabbit and the Shadow is typical or exemplary in French children’s literature. Here in the United States, it is strikingly attractive, thoughtful, and distinctive.

Note:

If you're interested in reading the best in books from other countries, ALSC recognizes excellence in the category every year. The Mildred L. Batchelder Award is awarded yearly to “the most outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States.”

This year’s winner of the Mildred L. Batchelder Award is TheMurderer’s Ape by Swedish author, Jakob Wegelius. 

Ghetto Cowboy - a review

Neri. G. 2011. Ghetto Cowboy. Ill. by Jesse Joshua Watson. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

Advance Review Copy supplied by publisher

Like Byron Watson's Michigan mother in Christopher Paul Curtis',The Watsons go to Birmingham 1963, Cole's mother, too, is at the end of her rope, nerves frayed by his constant juvenile delinquency. In desperation, she takes Cole south - from the Motor City to the City of Brotherly Love, where she leaves him unceremoniously with his father, a black cowboy in a small ghetto neighborhood of North Philadelphia, where he must get to know the father he's never met, come to terms with his own shortcomings, and learn to survive "the Cowboy Way," in this inner city version of the Old West.

Though this first person account features a hardened kid from the city living within earshot of nightly gang violence, Ghetto Cowboy is a novel of hope and possibility. It is about the love of horses and the ability of poor people to care for them, and for one another. It is a story in which people, even "bad" people, sometimes do the right thing, 

They come up to do whatever they can to help. Some people is carpenters, some electricians, some handymen; some is just kids who don't know nothing.  But a body is a body that can help out somehow.

"...a body is a body that can help out somehow." Amen to that.

 Black and white illustrations help bring this unique culture to life.  My particular favorite is a double-spread of the neighborhood cowboys and Cole, relaxing in the evening, in their street clothes with cowboy boots, two in cowboy hats, one in a hood, most bare-headed.  They're sitting in old lawn furniture or leaning against a barren wall, hoisting an odd assortment of beers, laughing, joking, shootin' the breeze - and one can imagine that they're not so different from the cowboys of old.

Ghetto Cowboy is a short and easy read, its small size belying its powerful emotional punch.

The real-life ghetto cowboys of Philadelphia were the subject of controversy when the PSPCA removed some of their horses several years ago.  Ghetto Cowboys, though fictional, offers an insider's view of these very real urban horsemen. Watch them and decide for yourself.

Check out the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club here.


The official book trailer is below, but, meaning no disrespect to its creator, I believe that the book is better than its trailer.

G. Neri's "Ghetto Cowboy" book trailer from Greg Neri on Vimeo.

• Listen to a sample of the audiobook from Candlewick.
• Teacher's Guide here.
• Ghetto Cowboy is a finalist in the 2011 Cybils Middle Grade Fiction category.

I received my copy of Ghetto Cowboy for attending a webinar on upcoming releases (obviously, I’m behind in my reviews as the book was released in August).I wouldn’t usually request a YA title, but I’m willing to give most anything from Candlewick a try.(Good call)