Never break the rules. Especially if you don’t understand them. The boys hide from a giant red rabbit and outwit a crowd of scary eagles, but when their games become ever darker and sinister they learn that breaking the rules can be dangerous.
An intriguing picture book for older readers, The Viewer has a sparse amount of words and plenty of fantastically detailed, curious and thought-provoking illustrations. This is a good choice for a picture book to study with Year 6.
The story follows a boy called Tristan who stumbles across a mysterious box filled with strange objects when he is browsing around for interesting things in a scrap yard. Inside the box, Tristan finds a viewing device with lenses and discs, filled with dramatic and sometimes disturbing images past and present – from prehistoric beasts to modern-era war and pollution.
Imagery or circles and spirals reflect the repeated cycles of progress and destruction through history, where the imagery of eyes might cause readers to wonder about the ‘lenses’ through which we come to understand human history. The ambiguous ending invites open-ended discussion. The intricate illustrations by Shaun Tan, the darker themes, the broad historical sweep and the curious repeated motifs make this a perfect picture book for older readers who appreciate a more philosophical book to pore over, and there’s certainly something new to wonder at on every reading.
Never break the rules. Especially if you don’t understand them. The boys hide from a giant red rabbit and outwit a crowd of scary eagles, but when their games become ever darker and sinister they learn that breaking the rules can be dangerous.
The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan is a brilliant book that deals with the theme of colonisation and its impact on the environment (amongst other things). It’s a deceptive book, luring you in with its intriguingly bizarre and beautiful illustrations by Shaun Tan only to bop you over the head with a stark and thought-provoking warning. A great book for all ages that will spark discussion and debate but can also be read and enjoyed with younger children without becoming too frightening for them. A book I return to over and over again.
review
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?
yes
Curriculum links (if relevant)
Curriculum links (if relevant)
Any other comments
Any other comments