Mélanie Rutten

This is a very sweet book with lovely illustrations. The style of the artwork is a pleasant reminder of many of the picture books I loved when I was a child myself back in the 1950s. The story has some fine lessons on growing up and facing fears, as well as something interesting to say about families and forming relationships. I think it's definitely a book for a child to share with an adult who can bring out the themes and explain things along the way. But I'm betting the adult will enjoy it, too.… (mehr)

The Rabbit and the Shadow is, in part, a coming of age story. An orphaned baby bunny is adopted by a Stag, who raised him with love. One day the Rabbit fell in a deep hole. An angry soldier happened by and pulled Rabbit up. Together they travel, til they meet a Cat, who has lost a ball. They help Cat, and he joins the troop. The group decides that they are going to be brave and travel to the volcano. Along the way, Rabbit finds an Egg, that he brings with him, taking care of it. All the while, a mysterious Shadow follows them. What does the Shadow want? And can the group prove to themselves they each are brave? And lastly, will they discover what family truly means?

This is a cute coming of age story, with themes of facing your fears, and what defines family. Much of the story is Rabbit's, but there are a few times when it shifts back to Stag, and you see how sad he is, worrying over his adopted child though he knows there are things Rabbit must learn on his own. Most of my cubs really enjoyed it. The art style wasn't my personal favourite, but I thought the lessons were great ones.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Eerdman’s Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.… (mehr)

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.

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.

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