Because of the Rabbit

Emma’s brother Owen is four years older than her. Emma and Owen were homeschooled together until the previous year, when Owen decided he wanted to attend the public high school. Owen is Emma’s rock, the person who was always there for her. This is emphasized by the tradition Emma and Owen have of giving each other rocks from their adventures, such as climbing Mt. Katahdin, with inspirational messages written on them. Emma feels as though Owen has “subtracted” her from his life when his school activities, such as theater, baseball, and soccer take up more of his time; however, he is still a devoted and supportive brother who is simply growing up and moving forward with his life. Owen is kind, understanding, and supportive. When he makes the soccer team and Emma shows minimal enthusiasm, he doesn’t take offense or hold a grudge. He takes time to kayak with Emma and attend her presentation, reassuring her that their bond is unshakable, despite inevitable changes that happen as you mature.

Jack is a fifth grader at Emma’s school. Jack has physical ticks, such as twitching hands and fingers, that become magnified when he is nervous or excited, and he is obsessed with animals. Jack shares animal facts at every opportunity, but when meeting an animal in person Jack becomes overwhelmed. Jack’s mother explains: “It’s a sensory thing” (105). An assistant teacher is there to help keep Jack focused, which she does by “making a spinning motion with her finger” when Jack starts to go off topic (60).

Jack is a foil to Emma. He encourages her to be herself through his own authenticity, and draws out her patience and understanding through his conflicting emotions over Lapi—loving Lapi and wanting to touch him, but feeling fearful at the same time. Jack is also Emma’s first school friend. He is kind, logical, honest, and seems oblivious to the fact that other kids mock him or expect him to change. Initially, Emma is embarrassed by him, thinking: “Please stop talking, Jack. It makes you stand out and not in a good way” (134).

Jack is the only person at school who makes Emma laugh or accepts her invitation to her home. Despite this, she dismisses him when he tries to sit with her at lunch. Emma describes the lunch table that Jack sits at as “the Leftovers Table” (71), where kids with no friends sit. Despite Emma’s behavior, Jack still supports her and forgives her when she is unkind to him. In addition, he is a good listener, and genuinely interested in Emma’s stories and ideas—the perfect “best friend” that she doesn’t initially recognize.

Jack does not “fit in” socially or physically with Emma’s narrow definition of a “best friend,” which is why it takes so long for her to appreciate him for who he is. Jack ultimately teaches Emma about The Importance of Authenticity, showing Emma that “real friends will like you for you. And even if you aren’t exactly alike about everything, that’s okay” (154).

Lapi, short for Monsieur Lapin, is the small, domesticated rabbit that Gabe and Emma rescue. He is a “soft, honey-gold color with a brown nose and front paws” (16). Lapi immediately endears himself to Emma, reminding her of the magical trickster rabbit, Monsieur Lapin, from stories her beloved Pépère used to tell. After Lapi is freed from the fence, he refuses to eat until Emma settles him in her bedroom, further strengthening the bond between them.

Lapi comes into Emma’s life at a pivotal point: Emma is feeling abandoned by her brother and is about to start public school herself—leaving the safety and comfort of being homeschooled. Lapi provides Emma with a distraction from her pre-school nerves. Once she is at school, Emma uses Lapi as a conversation starter, one that does not involve being homeschooled. As the narrative unfolds, it seems as though Emma is pinning too much hope on Lapi’s “Rabbit Magic.” However, Lapi makes Emma remember Pépère’s stories about friendship, helping her realize that accepting and being honest about who you are is the only way to move forward in life: “None of Monsieur Lapin’s friends ever wanted him to be something else. They liked him already” (182).

Lapi also helps Jack with his anxieties about touching animals, and when Iris’s omissions about the missing rabbit poster are exposed, Iris’s confession and honesty allow the girls to move forward with understanding.