Rabbit Chase

In a trip down the rabbit hole, Elizabeth LaPensée, KC Oster and Aarin Dokum bring readers on an Indigenous trip to Wonderland in Rabbit Chase a middle grade graphic novel that takes inspiration from C.S. Lewis’ Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland but puts an Anishinaabemowin spin on the story.

Aimée is on a field trip with the Indigenous Students Association at her school. They are on their way to visit the Petroglyphs and thankfully the trip will give Aimée a break from the bullying and harassment she constantly faces at the hands of zhaagnaashag, white people, since expressing her non-binary identity. When she wanders off during the field trip she enters another dimension filled with Alice and Wonderland inspired creatures. The only way back home is to help Trickster and hunt down the dark water spirits. 

Rabbit Chase is a very unique offering for middle grade readers. While addressing very timely social justice issues like gender identity, race, bullying, Elizabeth LaPensée hooks readers with a science fiction story filled with the familiar and not so familiar. By combining a very well known, “classic” story with elements and stories from their Anishinaabe culture. I’m always astounded by the innovative ways authors are sharing their own stories with readers. This book is peppered with Anishinaabemowin thanks to translation by Aarin Dokum, helping to keep languages alive for readers now and generations from now.

KC Oster’s illustrations ground the book and are central to the story. Readers immediately know when the story crosses over into the alternate dimension by the change in colours, from browns, greens and sepia tones to blues, purples. I appreciated the modern take on the Alice elements as well, with the Queen of Heart’s minions being robots.

An engaging and interesting read.