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Rabbit Chase
Anishinaabe culture and storytelling meet Alice in Wonderland in this coming-of-age graphic novel that explores Indigenous and gender issues through a fresh yet familiar looking glass.
Aimée, a non-binary Anishinaabe middle-schooler, is on a class trip to offer gifts to Paayehnsag, the water spirits known to protect the land. While stories are told about the water spirits and the threat of the land being taken over for development, Aimée zones out, distracting themselves from the bullying and isolation they’ve experienced since expressing their non-binary identity. When Aimée accidentally wanders off, they are transported to an alternate dimension populated by traditional Anishinaabe figures in a story inspired by Alice in Wonderland.
To gain the way back home, Aimée is called on to help Trickster by hunting down dark water spirits with guidance from Paayehnsag. On their journey, Aimée faces off with the land-grabbing Queen and her robotic guards and fights the dark water spirits against increasingly stacked odds. Illustrated by KC Oster with a modern take on their own Ojibwe style and cultural representation, Rabbit Chase is a story of self-discovery, community, and finding one’s place in the world.
Aimée, a non-binary Anishinaabe middle-schooler, is on a class trip to offer gifts to Paayehnsag, the water spirits known to protect the land. While stories are told about the water spirits and the threat of the land being taken over for development, Aimée zones out, distracting themselves from the bullying and isolation they’ve experienced since expressing their non-binary identity. When Aimée accidentally wanders off, they are transported to an alternate dimension populated by traditional Anishinaabe figures in a story inspired by Alice in Wonderland.
To gain the way back home, Aimée is called on to help Trickster by hunting down dark water spirits with guidance from Paayehnsag. On their journey, Aimée faces off with the land-grabbing Queen and her robotic guards and fights the dark water spirits against increasingly stacked odds. Illustrated by KC Oster with a modern take on their own Ojibwe style and cultural representation, Rabbit Chase is a story of self-discovery, community, and finding one’s place in the world.
120 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2022
9 people are currently reading
395 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
June 21, 2023
This was a well-executed Alice in Wonderland graphic novel retelling featuring Aimée, a non-binary Anishnaabe middle-schooler who loves videogames and finds herself stuck in an alternate universe on a class trip. To escape she needs to help Trickster Rabbit track down dark water spirits and save the land from the Evil Queen.
The book touches on issues of gender identity, pronouns and land rights in a relatable and accessible way for children with great illustrations and a useful glossary of Anishinaabe terms for the language used throughout the book. Highly recommended, especially for fans of Wab Kinew's Floraverse series.
The book touches on issues of gender identity, pronouns and land rights in a relatable and accessible way for children with great illustrations and a useful glossary of Anishinaabe terms for the language used throughout the book. Highly recommended, especially for fans of Wab Kinew's Floraverse series.
April 8, 2022
3.5 rounded to 4. Aimée goes on a field trip for indigenous students but gets lost in the woods and meets a few strange people and creatures. Rabbit Chase is sometimes quite a crazy mix of coming-of-age of a nonbinary, Anishinaabe folklore, Alice in Wonderland, and even the world of computer games and technology.
I must admit I know nothing about Anishinaabe’s culture and beliefs. So I was a bit lost sometimes. When I finished reading, I learned that there are translations at the back. It would be better if I knew that during my reading.
The colored illustrations are very good. Colors are different in a regular and the other world. Rabbit Chase is a nice middle-grade graphic novel for those who like unusual stories like Alice in Wonderland.
Thanks to Annick Press for the ARC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review, and all opinions are my own.
I must admit I know nothing about Anishinaabe’s culture and beliefs. So I was a bit lost sometimes. When I finished reading, I learned that there are translations at the back. It would be better if I knew that during my reading.
The colored illustrations are very good. Colors are different in a regular and the other world. Rabbit Chase is a nice middle-grade graphic novel for those who like unusual stories like Alice in Wonderland.
Thanks to Annick Press for the ARC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review, and all opinions are my own.
January 1, 2022
This is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. It is supposed to convey the history of a specific indigenous tribe but that story is so lost. There is so many indigenous words with no explanation within the story. luckily there’s a glossary in the back. You also have a little bit of the main character coming out or revealing their non-binary and I don’t get why that’s important to the story because it seems like it’s thrown in their as an extra thing rather than as an important function to the story. This book just feels all over the place it’s hard to understand, and hard to follow. The reader gets the feel of Alice in wonderland and its familiar looking glass, but I’m sorry this is a broken looking glass.
July 25, 2022
A creative mashup of Alice in Wonderland with Ashinaabe traditions and folklore. The quest gets a little muddled at times, but a nice balance is found between fun adventure, personal issues for the nonbinary protagonist, and jabs at land rights injustices.
March 30, 2024
It's very fast paced and could have been perfect with a few more pages to flesh the story out. I really wished we could have seen a lot more of Aimée's time at school and also have more details of the wonderland, but I honestly loved the original twist on Alice in Wonderland so much that I still think it was an amazing graphic novel.
November 14, 2021
Aimee is an indigenous non-binary middle schooler who goes on a class trip and gets transported to a Wonderland and has adventures similar to Alice. This was one of the most creative graphic novels I’ve read in a while and it was totally engrossing. The artwork, while in the artistic style of Telgemeier and will undoubtedly draw the kiddos, is eye-popping and solidly engaging on it’s own merit. The storyline is east to follow with nice unexpected twists along the way. Such a refreshing addition to my MS collection.
March 10, 2024
4.25/5
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June 22, 2025Cute, but the plot was very fast paced--one page changed a lot suddenly.
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June 13, 2023I picked this randomly from a shelf, and what a great surprise! An indigenous retelling of a classic story, and with a nonbinary main character and wonderful art. Nicely done.
September 8, 2023
4.5. It sucks that this book has a dodgy average rating, as judging by the reviews I read a lot of this stems from white reviewers centring themselves and expecting this book to cater to them (this is regarding the Anishinaabemowin in the text, which the authors provide an easily accessible glossary for at the beginning of the book, which was still complained about), and also some adult reviewers perhaps not adjusting their expectations of a children’s graphic novel. I personally had a fantastic time with this book.
Oster’s art was wonderful. I think it was their use of thick lines that really stood out to me; I particularly liked how this was used in the articulation of the animals. The colour palette was a great choice too, comprised of muted earthy tones.
The novel worked really well as a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. My memory of that book is zany adventures strung together by the MC just trying to get home, which is exactly what this story was. LaPensée takes elements of the original, but re-contextualises them from a Native American perspective. For example, the White Rabbit here was Jiibayaabooz, one of the Trickster brothers, and the Queen of Hearts was a coloniser. The Mad Hatter, Flowers and Caterpillar all find their way in, too. This was a super effective way at approaching a retelling, as the story was still recognisable yet made fresh. The variety of whimsical situations Aimée finds themself in keeps the reader interested and entertained, yet the book never loses sight of the overall goal, which is to get Aimée home. One critique I do have of the plot is how Aimée conveniently finds themself exactly where they need to be to make an offering to paayehnsag. I also wish we had been shown how this location fit Jiibayaabooz’s description.
Aimée was a great MC. They start the book isolated and without a lot of self-love and -confidence. Throughout the story, as they are thrust into the role of hero and make new friends, this starts to change. I thought their character development was really great.
I would definitely recommend this read and hope LaPensée and Oster collaborate again!
Oster’s art was wonderful. I think it was their use of thick lines that really stood out to me; I particularly liked how this was used in the articulation of the animals. The colour palette was a great choice too, comprised of muted earthy tones.
The novel worked really well as a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. My memory of that book is zany adventures strung together by the MC just trying to get home, which is exactly what this story was. LaPensée takes elements of the original, but re-contextualises them from a Native American perspective. For example, the White Rabbit here was Jiibayaabooz, one of the Trickster brothers, and the Queen of Hearts was a coloniser. The Mad Hatter, Flowers and Caterpillar all find their way in, too. This was a super effective way at approaching a retelling, as the story was still recognisable yet made fresh. The variety of whimsical situations Aimée finds themself in keeps the reader interested and entertained, yet the book never loses sight of the overall goal, which is to get Aimée home. One critique I do have of the plot is how Aimée conveniently finds themself exactly where they need to be to make an offering to paayehnsag. I also wish we had been shown how this location fit Jiibayaabooz’s description.
Aimée was a great MC. They start the book isolated and without a lot of self-love and -confidence. Throughout the story, as they are thrust into the role of hero and make new friends, this starts to change. I thought their character development was really great.
I would definitely recommend this read and hope LaPensée and Oster collaborate again!
May 28, 2022
A very enjoyable tale! This is an Anishinaabe retelling of Alice in Wonderland, with characters from Anishinaabe mythology filling in for the original characters, and touching on Indigenous and gender issues, including bullying and feeling unseen, "invisible." Our protagonist, Aimee, is a non-binary Anishinaabe middle schooler on a school trip to give offerings to the Paayehnsag, water spirits that protect the land. Aimee is distracted by playing games on their phone, and takes a different path than their classmates in the woods, leading them into a Wonderland-ish world filled with beings from Anishinaabe myths. Aimee agrees to help the mythical beings defeat the Evil Queen trying to take their land (mirroring events in Aimee's world), in exchange for them helping Aimee find their way home. Anishinaabe words and phrases are used throughout the story, and there's a helpful glossary at the end of the book, but the text would've benefited from the translations being on the page rather than having to flip back and forth (or waiting till you've finished if reading an e-book version as I did), and pronunciation guides would've been helpful. In fairness, I read a DRC and haven't seen the published book, so that may have changed. Also, I found the ending a little vague, I was left not really knowing if the Wonderland-ish world got the help it needed or not. The illustrations were really nice, I enjoyed the art style and the vibrant colors! Definitely recommended!
#RabbitChase #NetGalley
#RabbitChase #NetGalley
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January 7, 2022Rabbit Chase is a story of self-discovery, community, and finding one's place in the world. It was a fun mix of Anishinaabe culture and storytelling, and an Alice in Wonderland retelling that explores Indigenous and gender issues through a fresh yet familiar looking glass.
Aimée, a nonbinary Anishinaabe middle-schooler, is on a class trip to offer gifts to Paayehnsag, the water spirits known to protect the land. While stories are told about the water spirits and the threat of the land being taken over for development, Aimée accidentally wanders off, and they are transported to an alternate dimension.
I loved how the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ elements were familiar, yet different. Each one tied into Anishinaabe culture, so the journey was educational and exciting. There is a glossary of used Anishinaabe words in the back, as to not distract from the text. This representation is so, so important!
Aimée is bullied at school for their gender identity, and even a school figure makes snide remarks. My only wish is that this was challenged a bit more in the book.
About the creators: Elizabeth LaPensée, Ph.D. is of Irish, Anishinaabe, and Métis descent. KC Oster (he/she/they) is an Ojibwe-Anishinaabe.
Content warnings: bullying, misgendering
Thank you NetGalley and Annick Press for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. Publication date 4/5/22!
Aimée, a nonbinary Anishinaabe middle-schooler, is on a class trip to offer gifts to Paayehnsag, the water spirits known to protect the land. While stories are told about the water spirits and the threat of the land being taken over for development, Aimée accidentally wanders off, and they are transported to an alternate dimension.
I loved how the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ elements were familiar, yet different. Each one tied into Anishinaabe culture, so the journey was educational and exciting. There is a glossary of used Anishinaabe words in the back, as to not distract from the text. This representation is so, so important!
Aimée is bullied at school for their gender identity, and even a school figure makes snide remarks. My only wish is that this was challenged a bit more in the book.
About the creators: Elizabeth LaPensée, Ph.D. is of Irish, Anishinaabe, and Métis descent. KC Oster (he/she/they) is an Ojibwe-Anishinaabe.
Content warnings: bullying, misgendering
Thank you NetGalley and Annick Press for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. Publication date 4/5/22!
August 20, 2025
This graphic novel mixes Anishinaabe culture with Alice in Wonderland imagery, and is a fun way to get a look into a different set of spirits than I've encountered before. (I've come across Nanaboozhoo in other stories, but none of the other spirits.) The art was lovely and well-suited to a middle grade audience. The story focuses mostly on the conflict between white and Anishinaabe cultures, but there is also a nice secondary thread discussing Aimée's non-binary identity and the difficulties they've faced with getting acceptance in school.
I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a quick immersion into Anishinaabe culture, whether or not it's a culture you belong to. It was also refreshing to me to see so many words in Anishinaabemowin, and though I could get some words through context or because of repetition, I did need to make frequent use of the list of terms at the start of the book.
I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a quick immersion into Anishinaabe culture, whether or not it's a culture you belong to. It was also refreshing to me to see so many words in Anishinaabemowin, and though I could get some words through context or because of repetition, I did need to make frequent use of the list of terms at the start of the book.
April 22, 2023
A great Anishinaabe story of their little people who seek offerings of copper and candy, in an Alice in Wonderland framework, where Alice is a kid named Aimee who does not fit in. Aimee gets lost on a field trip and gets lost in a wondrous journey threatened by a land-hungry queen. The rabbit takes a more active role here than in Alice because he's a trickster. Aimee makes the sensible choice not to trust the trickster but he's trying to guide her home, maybe, while also doing a redemption of himself as a warrior trapped by malign forces in a lake thing. The characters use more Ojibwe words and phrases than I've ever seen in a book before and I had to consult the glossary a bunch. Hopefully this book is meaningful to the youth I assume it is intended for. I found it educational and charming.
March 24, 2024
Aimée, is in middle school and on a field trip gets lost and stumbles upon an Alice in Wonderland inspired world that is mashed up with Indigenous Anishinaabe culture and storytelling. Aimée has to come to terms with who they are, the world around them and work with their Indigenous roots to try to overcome the lies, scheming and theft of the Queen of Hearts who is inspired by white colonialism. The graphics are awesome and I would love an entire series about Aimée because they are awesome and seeing them connect with themselves was great an I could totally see a series. Please, Please, Please Manifesting this !!
January 2, 2024
74%
An "Alice in Wonderland" adaptation with themes of indigenous culture and colonialism.
I really like that they incorporated some of (what I assume is) the Anishinaabe language; especially that they reused some of the same phrases several times, giving readers the opportunity to actually recognize them and their meanings.
Another really great aspect of this story is that while it is very obviously an adaptation of the classic tale, it still includes plenty of Indigenous themes, motifs, and values, allowing it to stand on its own as a work of art and literature.
An "Alice in Wonderland" adaptation with themes of indigenous culture and colonialism.
I really like that they incorporated some of (what I assume is) the Anishinaabe language; especially that they reused some of the same phrases several times, giving readers the opportunity to actually recognize them and their meanings.
Another really great aspect of this story is that while it is very obviously an adaptation of the classic tale, it still includes plenty of Indigenous themes, motifs, and values, allowing it to stand on its own as a work of art and literature.
January 21, 2022
It was a little clunky of a start, but the story picked up and became smoother after she meets the Jiibayaabooz. I love the incorporation of Anishinaabe folklore with the Alice in Wonderland elements of the story! I wish the author had presented the Anishinaabe words at the beginning of the book, but it was still fun and magical to read.
April 18, 2022
The ARC I read was so poorly formatted that this was extremely hard to follow, but I like the art and the concept so I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt here.
March 10, 2024
Rabbit Chase
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (3/5) or 5.85/10 overall
Characters - 6
Atmosphere - 7
Writing - 6
Plot - 5
Intrigue - 6
Logic - 6
Enjoyment - 5
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (3/5) or 5.85/10 overall
Characters - 6
Atmosphere - 7
Writing - 6
Plot - 5
Intrigue - 6
Logic - 6
Enjoyment - 5
March 25, 2025
4.25 stars 🫶🏻
May 18, 2024
Anishinaabe story of a non-binary Native student who copes with cruel bullying by escaping into online gaming. On a field trip with other Native students to give offerings to the water sprites, Aimée gets split from the group and meets a trickster rabbit. Various story elements familiar to those who have read Alice in Wonderland help Aimée see themself clearly and focus on the kindness in their life rather than the cruelty. Packed with Anishinaabe language and characters from the People's folklore. The Red Queen reads as an allegory for colonizers.
July 12, 2022
I was excited for this book. It's a new take on the Alice in Wonderland story with Ojibwe bits and words throughout the book, but I really hated how I had go back and forth to the glossary to figure out what the word/s meant. It would have been better if the English translation was right after the Ojibwe/Anishinaabemowin word/s or have the English translation as a footnote at the bottom of the page. Going back and forth to the glossary was really annoying and it took part of the story away instead of being entirely focused on what was happening.
The illustrations were great, but I felt like the story lacked direction. The cool part about the main character is that they are nonbinary. They have 100 percent support from their family, but unfortunately have zero support from a teacher. I don't really know who that man was who called Aimée she/her instead of the correct pronouns was. I'm assuming their classroom teacher, but then who's the lady on the field trip?? Another teacher? I feel like that wasn't properly explained/introduced. I also found the flashbacks weirdly timed.
The illustrations were great, but I felt like the story lacked direction. The cool part about the main character is that they are nonbinary. They have 100 percent support from their family, but unfortunately have zero support from a teacher. I don't really know who that man was who called Aimée she/her instead of the correct pronouns was. I'm assuming their classroom teacher, but then who's the lady on the field trip?? Another teacher? I feel like that wasn't properly explained/introduced. I also found the flashbacks weirdly timed.
January 12, 2025
So. This is definitely one of those "it's me, not you" situations. I just couldn't get into this story at all. I don't really enjoy fantasy books but I thought with this being a graphic novel and based on Alice in Wonderland that I might enjoy it. I did enjoy the artwork. Wonderful colors and art style and helped me understand what was going on. I think it would have helped a lot if I'd read this in paper format because reading that translation page once didn't help a bit. I didn't empathize with the main character or really care about anything happening in the story. I got that Aimee was Two Spirit or non-binary and having issues fitting in at school so the ending was sweet if abrupt. I think people into fantasy books will enjoy this but sadly I'm not the right audience to appreciate it.
November 12, 2021
Aimee is a non-binary Anishinaabe middle school puple. The Anishinaabe people are an indigenous group who come from the area of what we call the Great Lakes region.
Aimee is part of an indigineous students association that are going on a field trip to visit Paayehsag, known as water spirits to give offerings to them. Aimee is totally not engaged, because they are playing a game on their phone, and don’t want to be distracted from it.
So, still playing their game, they wander off, and meet first a white rabbit, then a mad hatter, then an evil queen, who wants to take all the water, and all the land, and all the hunting rights, and anything she can from the people.
Sometimes Aimee helps, other times, as kids do, they do things stupidly.
But it is a strong story, and uses the Anishinaabe language thrown in, so we can learn a few words, such as thank you, and yes, and strawberries.
A fine addition to any library, because representation matters, and it is good to learn that you are not alone, or, as an ally, what others go through.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review,
Aimee is part of an indigineous students association that are going on a field trip to visit Paayehsag, known as water spirits to give offerings to them. Aimee is totally not engaged, because they are playing a game on their phone, and don’t want to be distracted from it.
So, still playing their game, they wander off, and meet first a white rabbit, then a mad hatter, then an evil queen, who wants to take all the water, and all the land, and all the hunting rights, and anything she can from the people.
Sometimes Aimee helps, other times, as kids do, they do things stupidly.
But it is a strong story, and uses the Anishinaabe language thrown in, so we can learn a few words, such as thank you, and yes, and strawberries.
A fine addition to any library, because representation matters, and it is good to learn that you are not alone, or, as an ally, what others go through.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review,
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August 26, 2022I felt like this Alice in Wonderland/gaming mashup set in an alternate world was all over the place. Main character, Aimée, is bullied and non-supported as they identify as non-binary yet we are not given a chance to fully resonate with them as much of their backstory is only shown through flashbacks that aren't really explained. Like the tricksters in this story we hop from one plot line to the next, yet many things aren't allowed to fully develop or connect with us as readers.
Equally frustrating as I am zhaagnaashag was my continuous need to keep one finger in the front of the book where the translations were so that I could flip back and forth as every single page had at least one word that needed to be translated. This messed with the flow of the story for me. I really wanted to like this story and learn more, instead I finished frustrated.
Equally frustrating as I am zhaagnaashag was my continuous need to keep one finger in the front of the book where the translations were so that I could flip back and forth as every single page had at least one word that needed to be translated. This messed with the flow of the story for me. I really wanted to like this story and learn more, instead I finished frustrated.
November 20, 2021
This slim graphic novel engages with a lot of big ideas very impressively. Aimée is an indigenous, nonbinary middle schooler who embarks on several journeys: on a class field trip with the students that bully them, to a magical land in which imagery from native folklore and Alice in Wonderland share space, and one of self-discovery and self-acceptance. It’s about so much: identity, community, marginalization, the weight of history, growing up. I thoroughly enjoyed following Aimée throughout their adventures, as well as the beautiful artwork and character design. Highly recommended.
July 13, 2022
Rabbit Chase is billed as "Anishinaabe culture and storytelling meet Alice in Wonderland" in a middle grade graphic novel. From the blurb on Goodreads:
"Aimée, a non-binary Anishinaabe middle-schooler, is on a class trip to offer gifts to Paayehnsag, the water spirits known to protect the land. While stories are told about the water spirits and the threat of the land being taken over for development, Aimée zones out, distracting themselves from the bullying and isolation they’ve experienced since expressing their non-binary identity. When Aimée accidentally wanders off, they are transported to an alternate dimension populated by traditional Anishinaabe figures in a story inspired by Alice in Wonderland.
To gain the way back home, Aimée is called on to help Trickster by hunting down dark water spirits with guidance from Paayehnsag. On their journey, Aimée faces off with the land-grabbing Queen and her robotic guards and fights the dark water spirits against increasingly stacked odds. Illustrated by KC Oster with a modern take on their own Ojibwe style and cultural representation, Rabbit Chase is a story of self-discovery, community, and finding one’s place in the world."
Why did I quote this blurb? Because even after reading the story two times, I still couldn't figure out what it was about. My co-reviewer had the exact same problem. The trouble starts early on. While the blurb identifies the Paayehnsag as water spirits who are known to protect the land, there is nothing in the actual text that identifies them in this way, leading to a sense of disconnection that winds its way throughout the entire novel. We had no sense that a ceremony presented at the beginning of the book had anything to do with land protection, which would have made a real difference later on when we meet the Red Queen and her gang of techno-bots who want to take over Wonderland. (It's important to note that readers familiar with Anishinaabe culture might not have needed this clarification.) Using the Red Queen to explore the history of colonial land grabs is inspired, and it neatly dovetails with Aimée's resistance in school to the idea that Columbus 'discovered' America. However, without the links between ceremony and teachings about the land being made more explicit, a non-Anishinaabe reader may experience the story as a series of disconnected chapters, lacking a unifying narrative thread. We also felt that the Anishinaabe words would have been better placed in the footnotes, as readers not familiar with the language can end up flipping back and forth between the glossary and the story, interrupting the flow of the reading.
In the original Alice books, Alice's thinking is continuously challenged through disruption and chaos - a perfect fit for Trickster. While Trickster takes the shape of a White Rabbit, he behaves more like an Elder than a disrupter. I thought that a Cheshire Cat-like character, disappearing and reappearing at will to dispense advice that may or may not be entirely true, might have been a better fit. A more chaotic Trickster would have forced Aimée to think for themselves, which could have resulted in a stronger climax when they finally do battle with their self-doubts as well as their adversary. As they've been socially isolated and bullied at school over their indentity and outspokeness, the story needed to show the various experiences that transform Aimée into a fighter, and let them use what they've learned to stand up for themselves and escape Wonderland. Without this, the story's resolution felt forced.
Rabbit Chase has many intriguing ideas but for it to function as an alternate Alice retelling, the story needed more development and a tighter narrative structure to make the parallels work. If the book had been pitched to a YA audience, there might have been additional scope to explore the themes of land claims and identity more fully.
Oster's illustrations border on the playful and sinister, and Red Queen and her techno-bots are super creepy.
"Aimée, a non-binary Anishinaabe middle-schooler, is on a class trip to offer gifts to Paayehnsag, the water spirits known to protect the land. While stories are told about the water spirits and the threat of the land being taken over for development, Aimée zones out, distracting themselves from the bullying and isolation they’ve experienced since expressing their non-binary identity. When Aimée accidentally wanders off, they are transported to an alternate dimension populated by traditional Anishinaabe figures in a story inspired by Alice in Wonderland.
To gain the way back home, Aimée is called on to help Trickster by hunting down dark water spirits with guidance from Paayehnsag. On their journey, Aimée faces off with the land-grabbing Queen and her robotic guards and fights the dark water spirits against increasingly stacked odds. Illustrated by KC Oster with a modern take on their own Ojibwe style and cultural representation, Rabbit Chase is a story of self-discovery, community, and finding one’s place in the world."
Why did I quote this blurb? Because even after reading the story two times, I still couldn't figure out what it was about. My co-reviewer had the exact same problem. The trouble starts early on. While the blurb identifies the Paayehnsag as water spirits who are known to protect the land, there is nothing in the actual text that identifies them in this way, leading to a sense of disconnection that winds its way throughout the entire novel. We had no sense that a ceremony presented at the beginning of the book had anything to do with land protection, which would have made a real difference later on when we meet the Red Queen and her gang of techno-bots who want to take over Wonderland. (It's important to note that readers familiar with Anishinaabe culture might not have needed this clarification.) Using the Red Queen to explore the history of colonial land grabs is inspired, and it neatly dovetails with Aimée's resistance in school to the idea that Columbus 'discovered' America. However, without the links between ceremony and teachings about the land being made more explicit, a non-Anishinaabe reader may experience the story as a series of disconnected chapters, lacking a unifying narrative thread. We also felt that the Anishinaabe words would have been better placed in the footnotes, as readers not familiar with the language can end up flipping back and forth between the glossary and the story, interrupting the flow of the reading.
In the original Alice books, Alice's thinking is continuously challenged through disruption and chaos - a perfect fit for Trickster. While Trickster takes the shape of a White Rabbit, he behaves more like an Elder than a disrupter. I thought that a Cheshire Cat-like character, disappearing and reappearing at will to dispense advice that may or may not be entirely true, might have been a better fit. A more chaotic Trickster would have forced Aimée to think for themselves, which could have resulted in a stronger climax when they finally do battle with their self-doubts as well as their adversary. As they've been socially isolated and bullied at school over their indentity and outspokeness, the story needed to show the various experiences that transform Aimée into a fighter, and let them use what they've learned to stand up for themselves and escape Wonderland. Without this, the story's resolution felt forced.
Rabbit Chase has many intriguing ideas but for it to function as an alternate Alice retelling, the story needed more development and a tighter narrative structure to make the parallels work. If the book had been pitched to a YA audience, there might have been additional scope to explore the themes of land claims and identity more fully.
Oster's illustrations border on the playful and sinister, and Red Queen and her techno-bots are super creepy.
February 21, 2022
Rabbit Chase by Elizabeth LaPensee, art by KC Oster, and Anishinaabemowin translations by Aarin Dokum, is a middle-grade graphic novel that puts nonbinary Anishinaabe middle-schooler Aimee into an Alice In Wonderland inspired story.
The story offers up an Alice in Wonderland story that is mixed heavily with North American Indigenous history and with Anishinaabe culture in particular. The Queen of Hearts figure is stealing the land in a similar fashion as white governments have done to Indigenous people in North America (and globally) by getting legal land rights through force and deception and manipulating Indigenous people in a court system that wasn't designed to protect them. Those who hold the land already are figures from traditional Anishinaabe stories, like the trickster rabbit who asks Aimee for help. The art style is really enjoyable and cute, and the animals depicted are drawn in a way that pulls from traditional Anishinaabe art. Aimee is a relatable protagonist who deals with school bullies, transphobia and misgendering (definite content warning for this, although it isn't exploitative and makes a fair representation of a difficult subject in my opinion), and feeling like a misfit. Seeing their emotional journey as they go through their literal journey is lovely.
I do really wish the story had been longer. Some of it just happened so fast that I felt like I might have enjoyed it more if there had been more time to explore each of the events, but I also recognise that I'm an adult reader engaging with a children's book, so I'm sure that many readers in the target age group will find the shorter length to be more appealing and enjoyable. Additionally, while there was a translation guide at the end for all of the Anishinaabemowin words used throughout, I do wish that they had put that at the beginning or placed translations of the words at the bottom of each page.
Overall, Rabbit Chase is a cute and fun story that packs a punch with serious subjects but offers them up in a way that can help introduce kids to difficult subjects. The art is just as engaging as the story being told. It also has great nonbinary and Anishinaabe representation.
The story offers up an Alice in Wonderland story that is mixed heavily with North American Indigenous history and with Anishinaabe culture in particular. The Queen of Hearts figure is stealing the land in a similar fashion as white governments have done to Indigenous people in North America (and globally) by getting legal land rights through force and deception and manipulating Indigenous people in a court system that wasn't designed to protect them. Those who hold the land already are figures from traditional Anishinaabe stories, like the trickster rabbit who asks Aimee for help. The art style is really enjoyable and cute, and the animals depicted are drawn in a way that pulls from traditional Anishinaabe art. Aimee is a relatable protagonist who deals with school bullies, transphobia and misgendering (definite content warning for this, although it isn't exploitative and makes a fair representation of a difficult subject in my opinion), and feeling like a misfit. Seeing their emotional journey as they go through their literal journey is lovely.
I do really wish the story had been longer. Some of it just happened so fast that I felt like I might have enjoyed it more if there had been more time to explore each of the events, but I also recognise that I'm an adult reader engaging with a children's book, so I'm sure that many readers in the target age group will find the shorter length to be more appealing and enjoyable. Additionally, while there was a translation guide at the end for all of the Anishinaabemowin words used throughout, I do wish that they had put that at the beginning or placed translations of the words at the bottom of each page.
Overall, Rabbit Chase is a cute and fun story that packs a punch with serious subjects but offers them up in a way that can help introduce kids to difficult subjects. The art is just as engaging as the story being told. It also has great nonbinary and Anishinaabe representation.
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February 29, 2024disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
OMG this was so dang precious! This is the Alice in Wonderland reimagining/inspired coming-of-age adventure of nonbinary Anishinaabe middle-schooler Aimée, as they go on a class trip to offer gifts to Paayehnsag, the water spirits known to protect the land. They wander off, and enter an alternate dimension populated by traditional Anishinaabe figures, eventually helping Trickster to hunt down dark water spirits!
Aimée endures some bullying and feeling massively misunderstood and unheard by educators too, but through this adventure and a bit of bravery, Aimée pushes through and stands a bit taller in their identity by the end of this. I loved the references to land ownership, mental health self-care, and recognizing the good around you. I also loved the moment with the caterpillar/butterfly <3
About the authors and illustrators:
ELIZABETH LAPENSÉE (she/they) is an award-winning Anishinaabe, Métis, and Irish writer and illustrator whose work appears in Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection series, Deer Woman: An Anthology, and more.
KC Oster (he/she/they) is an Ojibwe-Anishinaabe comic artist and illustrator. They live in the Rainy River District of Northwestern Ontario.
Aarin Migiziins (Little Eagle) Dokum ndizhinikaas, Wiikwemkoosing, Wiikwemkoong ndo njibaa. (My name is Aarin Dokum and my Nishinaabe noozwin/Anishinaabe name is Migiziins. I am from Wikwemkoosing, Wikwemikong Ontario, Canada.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, and Bullying
OMG this was so dang precious! This is the Alice in Wonderland reimagining/inspired coming-of-age adventure of nonbinary Anishinaabe middle-schooler Aimée, as they go on a class trip to offer gifts to Paayehnsag, the water spirits known to protect the land. They wander off, and enter an alternate dimension populated by traditional Anishinaabe figures, eventually helping Trickster to hunt down dark water spirits!
Aimée endures some bullying and feeling massively misunderstood and unheard by educators too, but through this adventure and a bit of bravery, Aimée pushes through and stands a bit taller in their identity by the end of this. I loved the references to land ownership, mental health self-care, and recognizing the good around you. I also loved the moment with the caterpillar/butterfly <3
About the authors and illustrators:
ELIZABETH LAPENSÉE (she/they) is an award-winning Anishinaabe, Métis, and Irish writer and illustrator whose work appears in Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection series, Deer Woman: An Anthology, and more.
KC Oster (he/she/they) is an Ojibwe-Anishinaabe comic artist and illustrator. They live in the Rainy River District of Northwestern Ontario.
Aarin Migiziins (Little Eagle) Dokum ndizhinikaas, Wiikwemkoosing, Wiikwemkoong ndo njibaa. (My name is Aarin Dokum and my Nishinaabe noozwin/Anishinaabe name is Migiziins. I am from Wikwemkoosing, Wikwemikong Ontario, Canada.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, and Bullying
November 11, 2021
Thank you to Annick Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Rabbit Chase by Elizabeth Lapensée is a great middle-age graphic novel featuring a protagonist who is Native American and non-binary. The book is described as "Anishinaabe culture and storytelling meet Alice in Wonderland," and it's definitely an apt description. The story revolves around Aimée, a middle schooler who uses they/them pronouns, who unexpectedly stumbles into a Wonderland-like alternate dimension. There, they meets traditional Anishinaabe characters like Trickster, a "white" Queen, and robotic playing card guards. Will Aimée find their way home? And what will they discover about their identity along the way?
Overall, Rabbit Chase is one of the most original and innovative graphic novels I've read in a long time. First off, I love that this is an #ownvoices graphic novel by an Anishinaabe author. I am so happy to be able to support a Native American author. I think that more of these books should be published and available for children to read. I did take off 1 star, because I think the artwork was decent, but not spectacular. I think that if the artwork had been better, it would have also improved the graphic novel overall. I did enjoy reading this book though. If you're intrigued by the description, or if you're looking for a middle-grade graphic novel, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in April!
Rabbit Chase by Elizabeth Lapensée is a great middle-age graphic novel featuring a protagonist who is Native American and non-binary. The book is described as "Anishinaabe culture and storytelling meet Alice in Wonderland," and it's definitely an apt description. The story revolves around Aimée, a middle schooler who uses they/them pronouns, who unexpectedly stumbles into a Wonderland-like alternate dimension. There, they meets traditional Anishinaabe characters like Trickster, a "white" Queen, and robotic playing card guards. Will Aimée find their way home? And what will they discover about their identity along the way?
Overall, Rabbit Chase is one of the most original and innovative graphic novels I've read in a long time. First off, I love that this is an #ownvoices graphic novel by an Anishinaabe author. I am so happy to be able to support a Native American author. I think that more of these books should be published and available for children to read. I did take off 1 star, because I think the artwork was decent, but not spectacular. I think that if the artwork had been better, it would have also improved the graphic novel overall. I did enjoy reading this book though. If you're intrigued by the description, or if you're looking for a middle-grade graphic novel, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in April!
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