Explain the role of picture books for society as more than just children’s
books using 1 or more texts.
The common misconception associated with picture books are that they are just books for
children, but they are so much more. Picture books have something meaningful to give to all
ages and transcend generations. The Rabbits (written by John Marsden and illustrated by
Shaun Tan) and Life and I (by Elizabeth Larsen and Marine Schneider) are accomplished
examples in the importance of picture books for society. These texts are impressive in its
abilities to empower readers with a greater sense of empathy and perspective on complex
topics by making it accessible for everyone. The complimentary use of words and
illustrations emphasizes the messages of the book and aids in eliciting an emotional
response in the reader by adding a realistic touch with visual literacy.
Picture books assist in exploring heavy matters in a manner that words or pictures alone
cannot fairly display. In The Rabbits, Marsden and Tan use an allegorical tale of rabbits and
numbats to depict the disputes of colonization and the effect of man on its environment.
This is told through the collective, first-person perspective of the numbats who are a
metonym for the indigenous people of Australia. Historical recounts are often told in the
words of the victor; however, The Rabbits develop a rare insight into the tragedies faced by
the indigenous people. The story starts broadly, with the line “The Rabbits came many
grandparents ago”. This unorthodox measure of time is intentionally used to emphasize the
numbats collective grief on the land and its people, inviting the reader to grieve alongside
them. It is implied that the numbats have lost many things since the arrival of the Rabbits.
Throughout the story, the rabbits introduce foreign instruments that are unfamiliar to the
numbats and even the reader. In the 7th page, the rabbits are shaping the terrain as they
please; cutting into mountains to make room for their growing civilization. This illustration is
paired with the bitter line: “no mountain could stop them; no desert, no river”. This is a
visual representation of the transformation of the landscape and characters, reflecting on
the changes that were produced by colonization. Marsden and Tan were able to combine
pictures and words to address numerous topics, in a simplistic manner. Readers of all social
contexts are able to comprehend the text without being overwhelmed.
The continuous utilization of visual literacy prompts an emotional response in the reader. In
The Rabbits, many illustrations allow the reader to connect with the characters and the
situation they are in, even without ever facing it themselves. The 4 th page details an image of
the rabbit arriving on the beach. In the foreground, there are multiple rabbits that are drawn
in a geometrical manner, making them look unnatural to the reader. There are multiple
vector lines, including the clouds and edges of the rabbits, that draw our eyes to the
numbats in the background. The numbats look powerless compared to the size of the
rabbits and their ship. The boat acts as a visual hyperbole where its size is exaggerated to
show how scary and different it felt to the numbats. The Stolen Generation is briefed upon in
the book’s 12th slide, it plays a crucial role in showing the historical significance of the issue.
The illustration accompanies the line: “they stole our children”, it feels unbalanced because
of its abnormal distribution. The body language the numbats of express emotions such as
books using 1 or more texts.
The common misconception associated with picture books are that they are just books for
children, but they are so much more. Picture books have something meaningful to give to all
ages and transcend generations. The Rabbits (written by John Marsden and illustrated by
Shaun Tan) and Life and I (by Elizabeth Larsen and Marine Schneider) are accomplished
examples in the importance of picture books for society. These texts are impressive in its
abilities to empower readers with a greater sense of empathy and perspective on complex
topics by making it accessible for everyone. The complimentary use of words and
illustrations emphasizes the messages of the book and aids in eliciting an emotional
response in the reader by adding a realistic touch with visual literacy.
Picture books assist in exploring heavy matters in a manner that words or pictures alone
cannot fairly display. In The Rabbits, Marsden and Tan use an allegorical tale of rabbits and
numbats to depict the disputes of colonization and the effect of man on its environment.
This is told through the collective, first-person perspective of the numbats who are a
metonym for the indigenous people of Australia. Historical recounts are often told in the
words of the victor; however, The Rabbits develop a rare insight into the tragedies faced by
the indigenous people. The story starts broadly, with the line “The Rabbits came many
grandparents ago”. This unorthodox measure of time is intentionally used to emphasize the
numbats collective grief on the land and its people, inviting the reader to grieve alongside
them. It is implied that the numbats have lost many things since the arrival of the Rabbits.
Throughout the story, the rabbits introduce foreign instruments that are unfamiliar to the
numbats and even the reader. In the 7th page, the rabbits are shaping the terrain as they
please; cutting into mountains to make room for their growing civilization. This illustration is
paired with the bitter line: “no mountain could stop them; no desert, no river”. This is a
visual representation of the transformation of the landscape and characters, reflecting on
the changes that were produced by colonization. Marsden and Tan were able to combine
pictures and words to address numerous topics, in a simplistic manner. Readers of all social
contexts are able to comprehend the text without being overwhelmed.
The continuous utilization of visual literacy prompts an emotional response in the reader. In
The Rabbits, many illustrations allow the reader to connect with the characters and the
situation they are in, even without ever facing it themselves. The 4 th page details an image of
the rabbit arriving on the beach. In the foreground, there are multiple rabbits that are drawn
in a geometrical manner, making them look unnatural to the reader. There are multiple
vector lines, including the clouds and edges of the rabbits, that draw our eyes to the
numbats in the background. The numbats look powerless compared to the size of the
rabbits and their ship. The boat acts as a visual hyperbole where its size is exaggerated to
show how scary and different it felt to the numbats. The Stolen Generation is briefed upon in
the book’s 12th slide, it plays a crucial role in showing the historical significance of the issue.
The illustration accompanies the line: “they stole our children”, it feels unbalanced because
of its abnormal distribution. The body language the numbats of express emotions such as
