Shaun Tan is an award winning Australian author and illustrator. This book at first seems a rather nonsensical tale about a boy finding a lost object while collecting bottle tops at the beach. But although the object is large, red, and rather extraordinary looking, no-one but the boy really notices it. Nor is anyone else really interested in what happens to it. The setting looks futuristic with an abundance of man made structures made from concrete, steel, and plastic, and without any growing or living things apart from people. The boy eventually finds a place for the lost thing to go, along with other lost objects, and leaves him there.
The illustrations are done in mixed media of acrylic and oils on a collage of old, yellowed physics and maths textbook pages. This gives an impression of clutter and congestion, which enhances the feeling of an overcrowded world. The use of handwriting for the text makes the story seem like a piece of creative writing done for school.
I was confused by this book, is it trying to deliver a message? Or is it just a visually stimulating story? I had to investigate further so I went to Shaun Tan's website to see what he had to say about it. Here is the link if you want to read more ... Shaun Tan
The detail of the illustrations and the nonsensical nature of the story makes this book both unusual and thought provoking.
Monday, January 19, 2009
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2 comments:
Shaun Tan does deliver a message, usually very sophisticated - his themes have different meanings for various groups. I have found this genre a great way to start discussion with refugee students at my school, who all find a different message for themselves. I really push these books in the English Department.
I felt quite challenged by this book, and didn't like it the first two times I read it, probably because the presentation of the book overwhelmed me. I felt bombarded with visual stimuli and could not connect with the story because of this. I am glad that I persevered, though, because the book really grows on you!
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