The Rabbits

From the artist: The Rabbits, written by Australian author John Marsden, is a fable about colonisation, told from the viewpoint of the colonised. An unseen narrator describes the coming of 'rabbits' in the most minimal detail, an encounter that is at first friendly and curious, but later darkens as it becomes apparent that the visitors are invaders. The style of the book is deliberately sparse and strange, with both text and image conveying an overall sense of bewilderment and anxiety as native numbat-like creatures witness environmental devastation under the wheels of a strange new culture. The parallels with a real history of colonisation in Australia and around the world are obvious, and based on detailed research, in spite of the overt surrealism of the imagery and the absence of direct references. It was named Picture Book of the Year by the Children's Book Council of Australia in 2000, which generated some controversy due to its confronting themes, and was attacked on several occasions for being 'politically correct propaganda' by right wing conservatives. In spite of this (and even a little because of it), the book went on to win numerous awards in Australia, the US and UK, and is studied widely in secondary schools.