Review: Lost &Found by Shaun Tan
GRAPHIC NOVEL & MANGA SPOTLIGHT
STATS
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: 4/11
I wasn't familiar with Shaun's work before I got this graphic Novel but I'm definitely a fan now. The first story in this volume is called:
The Red Tree
The red tree is a gorgeously illustrated story. It has a beautiful message about falling into heavy emotions when surrounded by difficult circumstances. We follow a young girl who awakens to find a difficult day ahead of her. Tan's art beautifully describes this environment with several sentences surrounding each picture. I was really touched by this story. It was beautifully illustrated and emotionally poignant.
The Lost Thing was an Academy Award Winning animated short this year! This a version of that tale in illustrated form. The lost thing questions the usefulness of possessions. A young man discovers the "thing" and takes responsibility for it. He brings it home where it awkwardly takes up space . The man then begins a journey to find out where the thing can fit in. This is another beautifully illustrated story. I spent a great deal of time just staring in awe at all the illustrations. i loved the ending and look forward to seeing the animated version of this story,
Shaun Tan came up with the idea for this story from a biography he read about the Indian warrior Tecumseh.There is a combination of sadness and sharp beauty in this tale. It is about the coming of the Rabbits into a peaceful inhabited country. The Rabbits bring there own customs and machinery. As more and more of them come they expand their boundaries claiming the best land and fields, Poisoning the waters and changing the children of the indigenous population. A dark story truthful tale surrounded by more of Tan's stunning art. this volume is more suited to teens or adults but I think many children would enjoy the story The Lost Thing as a read along with their parents.
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