The Rabbit and the Shadow
(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.
