Call number
E T
Collection
Genres
Publication
Scholastic Inc. (2011), Edition: Illustrated, 128 pages
Description
Three stories explore how we lose and find what matters most to us, as a girl finds a bright spot in a dark world, a boy leads a strange, lost being home, and a group of peaceful creatures loses its home to cruel invaders.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Smiler69
"The three stories in this book were originally published as separate titles in Australia between 1998 and 2001, and although they are very different—this being a very experimental period for me as a young artist and writer—they do share common themes and preoccupations. Each story could be
Three different illustration styles a featured which all have a very lush quality, incredible attention to detail, and rare artistic sensibility in common. Indeed, some images are arresting because of their lyricism and beauty, sometimes for the incredible amount of information they contain, and sometimes because of their simplicity and sheer impact, or a combination of all the above. Every page is a pleasure to behold.
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said to be about the relationship between people and places, especially when that relationship is ruptured by physical displacement, and emotional disconnection, or an otherwise troubled sense of identity; a country invaded by aggressive strangers [The Rabbits], a homeless creature [The Lost Thing], and a girl adrift in the world of her own dark emotions [The Red Tree]. They are each in their own way tales of loss and recovery, and a question about belonging in the absence of any direct language—where central characters hardly speak—as though some things are too strange, personal, or confronting for words." —Shaun TanThree different illustration styles a featured which all have a very lush quality, incredible attention to detail, and rare artistic sensibility in common. Indeed, some images are arresting because of their lyricism and beauty, sometimes for the incredible amount of information they contain, and sometimes because of their simplicity and sheer impact, or a combination of all the above. Every page is a pleasure to behold.
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LibraryThing member Merryann
I can't rave enough about Shaun Tan. What a wonderful illustrator! Lost and Found is made up of three stories: The Red Tree, The Lost Thing, and The Rabbits (The Rabbits was written by John Marsden.)
Beautiful. Luxurious. Stunning at times.
The publishers paid this book proper respect also, having
Pictures that are beautifully intricate and yet never annoyingly busy. Words that enhanced the pictures the way butter enhances bread warm from the oven.
In short, I liked the book.
Beautiful. Luxurious. Stunning at times.
The publishers paid this book proper respect also, having
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it bound in a way that says 'this is a beautiful book that you will treasure' as opposed to 'here's yet another picture book, ho hum'. Pictures that are beautifully intricate and yet never annoyingly busy. Words that enhanced the pictures the way butter enhances bread warm from the oven.
In short, I liked the book.
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LibraryThing member kraaivrouw
The publishers of this book would like you to believe that this is a picture book for children. I'm not sure it's that easily pegged. Like the very best picture books with stories and art that stay with you forever, this book is sad and whimsical in equal measures. The illustrations are gorgeous.
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The stories are simple, yet profound. The combination is a reading experience I won't soon forget. Much like And the Pursuit of Happiness by Myra Kalman this slim little book has a big impact with its visuals and with its sadness, hope, and whimsy. Great for kids and their parents everywhere and for anyone who loves graphic novels and doesn't care that they might be disguised as kids' books. Show Less
LibraryThing member LauraEHerndon
The three stories contained in this book share a common theme - our disconnection from our environment and each other. Imaginative art collages echo the theme through a combination of ominously rendered everyday images juxtaposed with fanciful creations that hint of the magical things that we just
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don't seem to notice due to our own preoccupations. The evocative and complex illustrations perfectly back up the sparingly used text and make for a quiet journey of rediscovering the little moments of wonder that are so easily misplaced. Highly recommended for imaginative children and adults that want to find their way back to that sense of wonderment. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jenners26
First of all, I'm not exactly sure how to go about classifying this book. It isn't a graphic novel as it contains three short illustrated stories/fables. It isn't a picture book (in the traditional sense) for young children. I suppose that it is a graphic picture book meant for older children and
Perhaps the best way to review the book is to talk about the three different stories.
THE RED TREE is the first story in the book and was probably my favorite. I'd describe it as "a depressed person's version of Dr. Suess's Oh The Places You'll Go." The story starts with a little red-haired girl who wakes up to these lines: "sometimes the day begins with nothing to look forward to." Like the more upbeat Dr. Suess book, the girl ventures forth into the world, which is populated by fantastical and oftentimes dark images and words that do little to lift your spirits ("the world is a deaf machine/without sense or reason"). Like the Dr. Suess book, she even comes to a waiting place. I was glad that the story ends with a sense of hope, as I was quite worried about where Tan was going to take this things. Still, some of the images lingered with me afterward, and I found myself returning to it for another look.
THE LOST THING is a bit more fanciful. A young boy (who reminded me of a Gary Larson cartoon) finds a lost thing that defies classification--it kind of looks like a big red teapot with legs. The boy decides to help the lost thing find its place in the world after realizing he cannot keep it at home. After traveling around the city, the boy and the lost thing eventually find what they are looking for and part ways--with the boy ending up losing quite a bit more than he anticipated in the process. The end of the story reminded me somewhat of The Little Prince (when you become a grown-up and stop seeing a boa constrictor inside of an elephant and instead start seeing a hat). The illustrations were more complex in this story--with the drawings placed on top of text and engineering diagrams. I kept looking for hidden meanings and "clues" in the backgrounds of the picture--as well as in the repeated images of smoke clouds that I were sure meant something if I could only figure it out.
THE RABBITS is a story written by John Marsden. Departing a bit in tone (due to the story being written by another writer) and look (I thought Tan's art was strikingly different in this story with the use of brighter colors), The Rabbits tells the oft-told story of white people invading a land and displacing the native people, except Marsden and Tan substitute rabbits for humans (although Tan's illustrations of the rabbits make it clear what they represent). As you might expect, the rabbits destroy the land, the native animals and pollute everything in sight. The story isn't subtle and even younger children will probably be able to make the leap that the "rabbits" represent "humans."
In the end, I'm not quite sure what to make of this book or who would be the target audience. I suppose that the book might appeal to older children who have an artistic streak and a conscience. In addition, the book might appeal to adults who are interested in Shaun Tan's art or who want to impart some deeper messages to their children. In the end, I didn't fall in love with this book, but I do see its merits. However, I confess to feeling like I was missing something (nuances? deeper meanings?) in the illustrations. Like all complicated picture books, this one probably deserves a slow, lingering read and several revisits. For me personally, I just didn't gravitate to Tan's style, which was more muted and depressive than I prefer. However, I'm sure this book has an appeal to fans of Tan's work and readers who like their "picture" books with more gravitas to them.
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adults. It is one of those books that you need to see to fully understand, which is why you should look through the book to get a feel for its art and tone.Perhaps the best way to review the book is to talk about the three different stories.
THE RED TREE is the first story in the book and was probably my favorite. I'd describe it as "a depressed person's version of Dr. Suess's Oh The Places You'll Go." The story starts with a little red-haired girl who wakes up to these lines: "sometimes the day begins with nothing to look forward to." Like the more upbeat Dr. Suess book, the girl ventures forth into the world, which is populated by fantastical and oftentimes dark images and words that do little to lift your spirits ("the world is a deaf machine/without sense or reason"). Like the Dr. Suess book, she even comes to a waiting place. I was glad that the story ends with a sense of hope, as I was quite worried about where Tan was going to take this things. Still, some of the images lingered with me afterward, and I found myself returning to it for another look.
THE LOST THING is a bit more fanciful. A young boy (who reminded me of a Gary Larson cartoon) finds a lost thing that defies classification--it kind of looks like a big red teapot with legs. The boy decides to help the lost thing find its place in the world after realizing he cannot keep it at home. After traveling around the city, the boy and the lost thing eventually find what they are looking for and part ways--with the boy ending up losing quite a bit more than he anticipated in the process. The end of the story reminded me somewhat of The Little Prince (when you become a grown-up and stop seeing a boa constrictor inside of an elephant and instead start seeing a hat). The illustrations were more complex in this story--with the drawings placed on top of text and engineering diagrams. I kept looking for hidden meanings and "clues" in the backgrounds of the picture--as well as in the repeated images of smoke clouds that I were sure meant something if I could only figure it out.
THE RABBITS is a story written by John Marsden. Departing a bit in tone (due to the story being written by another writer) and look (I thought Tan's art was strikingly different in this story with the use of brighter colors), The Rabbits tells the oft-told story of white people invading a land and displacing the native people, except Marsden and Tan substitute rabbits for humans (although Tan's illustrations of the rabbits make it clear what they represent). As you might expect, the rabbits destroy the land, the native animals and pollute everything in sight. The story isn't subtle and even younger children will probably be able to make the leap that the "rabbits" represent "humans."
In the end, I'm not quite sure what to make of this book or who would be the target audience. I suppose that the book might appeal to older children who have an artistic streak and a conscience. In addition, the book might appeal to adults who are interested in Shaun Tan's art or who want to impart some deeper messages to their children. In the end, I didn't fall in love with this book, but I do see its merits. However, I confess to feeling like I was missing something (nuances? deeper meanings?) in the illustrations. Like all complicated picture books, this one probably deserves a slow, lingering read and several revisits. For me personally, I just didn't gravitate to Tan's style, which was more muted and depressive than I prefer. However, I'm sure this book has an appeal to fans of Tan's work and readers who like their "picture" books with more gravitas to them.
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LibraryThing member JRlibrary
Tan's books are always so complex that I always feel like I can't even comment on them until I've read them at least a dozen times! Each reading reveals items that I hadn't detected previously, which then alter my thinking... This is three short stories combined, but which deal with the themes of
Have donated my copy of the book to my school library.
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alienation and being lost or surrounded and still lonely. Lovely commentary by the author at the end of the book helped to confirm what I thought the book was about! Have donated my copy of the book to my school library.
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LibraryThing member zzshupinga
There are three short stories in this book from Shaun Tan...but to be honest I don't buy Shaun Tan books for the written words, I buy them because he is an amazing out of this world artist. The written words are secondary and the pictures and images within carry the book and will blow your mind
The first story is a simple one, but oh so powerful. It tells of a young girl, much like any that you might meet in everyday life (perhaps even yourself) struggling with the world around her. She's buffeted and rocked out about by the powers of the world and at one point has to hang onto a raft in a raging sea till she makes it home worn out and at the end...and there before her is a red tree. Growing out of her floor bright and vibrant with the power to change the world.
I say the words are secondary because you can look at the images and feel the power of the story without them. Shaun Tan takes illustration to a new level as he grabs hold of you at the first panel and doesn't let go.
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with their power.The first story is a simple one, but oh so powerful. It tells of a young girl, much like any that you might meet in everyday life (perhaps even yourself) struggling with the world around her. She's buffeted and rocked out about by the powers of the world and at one point has to hang onto a raft in a raging sea till she makes it home worn out and at the end...and there before her is a red tree. Growing out of her floor bright and vibrant with the power to change the world.
I say the words are secondary because you can look at the images and feel the power of the story without them. Shaun Tan takes illustration to a new level as he grabs hold of you at the first panel and doesn't let go.
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LibraryThing member shswang
5Q5P
I paid more attention of "The Rabbits," as I had read The Red Tree and The Lost Thing prior to this.
Tan's unique graphic style starkly portrays The Rabbits as a metaphor for colonialism / imperialism, and how the original inhabitants' lives are impacted.
I paid more attention of "The Rabbits," as I had read The Red Tree and The Lost Thing prior to this.
Tan's unique graphic style starkly portrays The Rabbits as a metaphor for colonialism / imperialism, and how the original inhabitants' lives are impacted.
LibraryThing member mrcmyoung
Three beautifully told stories, all related to alienation and a struggle to find meaning, and all demonstrating Shaun Tan's brilliance as a writer and illustrator. His stories and pictures are both audacious and subtle. Lost and Found introduced me to Shaun Tan and made me a fan for life.
LibraryThing member edspicer
For those readers who follow film, Shaun Tan has earned an academy award for his work adapting one of the three marvelous stories in this book to the world of animated film. This beautifully bound collection gathers together three stories that made the rounds in Australia, but never seemed to find
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their way to the U.S. They were lost but now they are found! “Red Tree” is an emotionally packed story following a young, depressed girl when hope seems to abandon her. While the ending brings satisfying emotional relief, careful readers will notice that even in the longest, most never ending dark times, hope remains, although sometimes we must search carefully. The often grey, muted palate explodes with the same leaf color that clings to each page. The next story, “The Lost Thing,” follows a homeless thing. Seemingly without purpose, our Thing seems forlorn. Our protagonist valiantly seeks to understand the Lost Thing's purpose from his very different cultural background. Unable to understand or classify the Lost Thing, he happens upon help from the government and its "sweepus underum carpetae" philosophy of dealing with members of society that don't fit neatly. Juxtaposed against an opening filled with all sorts of exact and scientific bottle caps neatly arranged and sorted, this chilling story rants against our compunction to remove any sort of mystery for the sake of scientific order (even if it is something as absurd as bottle caps). As with all of Shaun Tan's books, the art makes the reader think as much as the words do. The final story, “The Rabbits,” is written by John Marsden and illustrated by Tan. One wishes that the two of them would collaborate more often! Marsden's exploration of the never-ending colonial conquerors is given exquisite depth by Tan's fusion of medieval and futuristic paintings. Without even reading one single word or doing anything other than paying attention to the color shift, readers will understand what Tan is doing with the gradual removal of color and vibrancy, which so perfectly matches the text. This story is a chilling dystopian fantasy that uses rabbits, gentle rabbits, and their copious Fibonacci reproduction to ask us to look at our own accumulation of "gentle" policies and changes that steal ownership of the land and pervert its purpose. Readers can use this story as a way to draw parallels to a much bigger world than just Australia alone. Think of what has happened in much of Africa, our dustbowls, Hawaii, and many more places. Tan's books are seemingly very simple but grow vastly in complexity with each fresh new inspection and examination. With The Arrival, Tales From Outer Suburbia, and now this fabulous new (in the U.S.) collection of graphic stories, Tan has a body of work that deserves its own course of study in schools. Tan is one of the world's truly gifted storytellers; his academy award victory reflects the same honor he should be receiving for the quality of the books he creates. Buy this book! [Update on Tan’s award status: He is now the newest recipient of the Astrid Lingrid Memorial Award, which is an award that pays the winner about $750,000.00! It is the largest award given to children or young adult authors or illustrators.] Show Less
LibraryThing member TiffanyHickox
This stories and illustrations are stunning, and the underlying themes make it an enjoyable read for all ages.
LibraryThing member RandyStafford
Shaun Tan's name has been rattling around in my brain since seeing an excerpt of his illustrations for The Arrival in Spectrum 6: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, and it's been become more prominent after hearing he just won an Oscar for his short animated film _The Lost Thing_. I don't
I was pleasantly surprised to see this omnibus volume has the complete _The Arrival_. While I doubt the world needs another tale of anti-colonial guilt, at least this one was stylishly illustrated with its almost unrecognizable imperial rabbits wrecking havoc on the animals and land of Australia. The illustrations are often two page spreads with a predominant color: gold and white for the rabbits in their odd steam powered carts and Horatio Nelson style garb, reddish browns and blues for the unfortunate creatures of the billabongs. It's story, written by John Marsden (the only one here not written by Tan), is one of ineluctable doom.
_The Red Tree_ is a simple, emotional poem of life grinding a young girl down in a world that is a "deaf machine". There are striking, strange two page spreads of "inevitable tragedies" and"troubles". Surrealistic and evocative, I can see myself returning to its illustrations more than the other titles.
As a story, though, my favorite piece is _The Lost Thing_. Tan's Oscar winning film evidently adapted it. It has the most text, "a tale for those who have more important things to pay attention to". A boy finds a strange amalgam of machine and animal and seeks to return it to where it belongs. We journey through a world of humorous ads, evocative background collages from engineering texts, industrial size plumbing, and people lost themselves in the mechanistic routines of life.
Nope, the Nephews aren't getting this copy. But I can see myself giving this book of wonders to them in a nice hardcover edition.
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normally read children's books, but I figured I'd take a look at this. And, if I didn't like it, I could always give the book to the Nephews after I was done.I was pleasantly surprised to see this omnibus volume has the complete _The Arrival_. While I doubt the world needs another tale of anti-colonial guilt, at least this one was stylishly illustrated with its almost unrecognizable imperial rabbits wrecking havoc on the animals and land of Australia. The illustrations are often two page spreads with a predominant color: gold and white for the rabbits in their odd steam powered carts and Horatio Nelson style garb, reddish browns and blues for the unfortunate creatures of the billabongs. It's story, written by John Marsden (the only one here not written by Tan), is one of ineluctable doom.
_The Red Tree_ is a simple, emotional poem of life grinding a young girl down in a world that is a "deaf machine". There are striking, strange two page spreads of "inevitable tragedies" and"troubles". Surrealistic and evocative, I can see myself returning to its illustrations more than the other titles.
As a story, though, my favorite piece is _The Lost Thing_. Tan's Oscar winning film evidently adapted it. It has the most text, "a tale for those who have more important things to pay attention to". A boy finds a strange amalgam of machine and animal and seeks to return it to where it belongs. We journey through a world of humorous ads, evocative background collages from engineering texts, industrial size plumbing, and people lost themselves in the mechanistic routines of life.
Nope, the Nephews aren't getting this copy. But I can see myself giving this book of wonders to them in a nice hardcover edition.
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LibraryThing member akmargie
There's this 2 page spread in The Red Tree that I want to rip out and frame on my wall. Art/Literature/Lovely.
LibraryThing member Sullywriter
This is a collection of three early works by the immensely talented Australian illustrator and graphic artist. None have been widely available in the United States. All three are magical, surreal, wondrous, and quite sophisticated. The Rabbits, written by John Marsden, is a chilling fable about the
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evils of Colonialism, depicting an indigenous population being crushed by invaders. Show Less
LibraryThing member KimJD
Grades 4 and up
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
The three stories included in this volume--The Red Tree, The Lost Thing, and The Rabbits-- were originally published separately in Australia. The first two are written and illustrated by Tan; The Rabbits is written by John Marsden and illustrated by
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
The three stories included in this volume--The Red Tree, The Lost Thing, and The Rabbits-- were originally published separately in Australia. The first two are written and illustrated by Tan; The Rabbits is written by John Marsden and illustrated by
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Tan. The spare words and rich, surreal illustrations beg to be pored over and savored. Like Hugo Cabret, the words of the stories can be read very quickly, but readers who deliberately slow down and let the marriage of text and illustrations sink in will be rewarded. Thought-provoking and wonderful for upper elementary through adult. Show Less
LibraryThing member krau0098
Previously I have read The Arrival by Shaun Tan I was amazed by both the artwork and the depth of the story in that book. So when I was offered Lost and Found through the Amazon Vine program I was super excited to read it. This is a fantastic book; it appeals to both kids and adults, contains
This book consists of three stories. The first is The Red Tree which tells the story of a young girl dealing with troubles only to find hope at the end of her trials. The second is The Lost Thing which tells of a boy who finds a Lost Thing on the beach and tries to find a place where it belongs. The third is written by John Marsden and is called The Rabbits. This is a story about white rabbits who take over a world and eventually destroy it.
All of the stories have the story itself and then a deeper meaning as well. My son who is four years old enjoyed The Lost Thing the most; he was fascinated with the strangeness of the Lost Thing and was interested in the idea of finding strange things that don't belong in the world. This story will also touch a chord with adults as it addresses the idea that as you get older you see less of wonder and strangeness in the world. My favorite was the Red Tree; I loved the complex art work in this one and the depth of the story despite it being very sparse on words.
The artwork is fantastic. Again the Lost Thing has the type of artwork that I most associate with Shaun Tan; pictures of strange fantastical beings that are part fantasy, part machine, and part sci-fi. I love Shaun Tan's art; you can look at these pictures for a long amount of time and continually see new things...they are complex and fascinating. There is definitely a bit of steampunk theme throughout; the stories are a bit darker and feature beings made of both monstrous and mechanical parts meshed together.
Overall this is just and absolutely stellar book. I really enjoyed it and my son did as well. Wonderful stories that are accessible at different levels and mean different things to children and adults, complex and fantastical artwork, this was just a super interesting book. I can't wait to see what Tan comes up with next.
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stories accessable on many levels, and has just absolutely enchanting artwork.This book consists of three stories. The first is The Red Tree which tells the story of a young girl dealing with troubles only to find hope at the end of her trials. The second is The Lost Thing which tells of a boy who finds a Lost Thing on the beach and tries to find a place where it belongs. The third is written by John Marsden and is called The Rabbits. This is a story about white rabbits who take over a world and eventually destroy it.
All of the stories have the story itself and then a deeper meaning as well. My son who is four years old enjoyed The Lost Thing the most; he was fascinated with the strangeness of the Lost Thing and was interested in the idea of finding strange things that don't belong in the world. This story will also touch a chord with adults as it addresses the idea that as you get older you see less of wonder and strangeness in the world. My favorite was the Red Tree; I loved the complex art work in this one and the depth of the story despite it being very sparse on words.
The artwork is fantastic. Again the Lost Thing has the type of artwork that I most associate with Shaun Tan; pictures of strange fantastical beings that are part fantasy, part machine, and part sci-fi. I love Shaun Tan's art; you can look at these pictures for a long amount of time and continually see new things...they are complex and fascinating. There is definitely a bit of steampunk theme throughout; the stories are a bit darker and feature beings made of both monstrous and mechanical parts meshed together.
Overall this is just and absolutely stellar book. I really enjoyed it and my son did as well. Wonderful stories that are accessible at different levels and mean different things to children and adults, complex and fantastical artwork, this was just a super interesting book. I can't wait to see what Tan comes up with next.
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LibraryThing member kmjanek
Highly Recommended
There are three stories in this book: The Red Tree, The Lost Thing and The Rabbits. The Red Tree deals with depression and the drawings get progressively darker as the emotions get darker. The Lost Thing is about passive intolerance and it gives the reader a sense about
This picture book is definitely geared towards high school and adult readers. The themes of depression, apathy and colonialism are too dark and abstract for young readers. The visual art is very detailed and stunning. The tales of loss and recovery are beautifully illustrated in the art work (pencil, watercolor, collage, bottle caps) and in simple words. In all three stories, the future remains undecided…just like in life. This is a must have book for visual arts classes. There are many ways to approach this book in a IB Theory of Knowledge class in terms of perspective, bias, language, art, storytelling. The Rabbits would be a perfect way to end a unit on colonialism. This story specifically addresses the British colonizing Australia. But the message of the effects of colonialism and environmental crisis would ring true to any former colony. The entire book is very thought provoking. The images are foreign and unusual making the reader feel that many things are familiar, yet weird.
Purchasing a classroom set of these books could make for very interesting lessons for visual art, history, philosophy and language arts teachers are the high school and college level. I would recommend this book for any library. They are just so different and creative, that there could be lots of possibilities. The book can be skimmed in about 10 minutes or read/looked at in great detail for 3 hours. Either way, the reader will be left with pretty powerful messages about humanity and the choices we make.
There are three stories in this book: The Red Tree, The Lost Thing and The Rabbits. The Red Tree deals with depression and the drawings get progressively darker as the emotions get darker. The Lost Thing is about passive intolerance and it gives the reader a sense about
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forgetting something important. The main character grows up into dealing with adult pressures and cynicism. Finally, the Rabbits, is a story about white rabbits invading a continent. They displace the aboriginal animals, bring pests and diseases, clear forests, fence the land and plant crops. The author illustrates the damage done by invaders and colonists through art and words.This picture book is definitely geared towards high school and adult readers. The themes of depression, apathy and colonialism are too dark and abstract for young readers. The visual art is very detailed and stunning. The tales of loss and recovery are beautifully illustrated in the art work (pencil, watercolor, collage, bottle caps) and in simple words. In all three stories, the future remains undecided…just like in life. This is a must have book for visual arts classes. There are many ways to approach this book in a IB Theory of Knowledge class in terms of perspective, bias, language, art, storytelling. The Rabbits would be a perfect way to end a unit on colonialism. This story specifically addresses the British colonizing Australia. But the message of the effects of colonialism and environmental crisis would ring true to any former colony. The entire book is very thought provoking. The images are foreign and unusual making the reader feel that many things are familiar, yet weird.
Purchasing a classroom set of these books could make for very interesting lessons for visual art, history, philosophy and language arts teachers are the high school and college level. I would recommend this book for any library. They are just so different and creative, that there could be lots of possibilities. The book can be skimmed in about 10 minutes or read/looked at in great detail for 3 hours. Either way, the reader will be left with pretty powerful messages about humanity and the choices we make.
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LibraryThing member vpfluke
A beautifully illustrated book for children that adults could surely appreciate. The three stories, The Red Tree, The Lost Thing, and the Rabbits can be both poingnant and inviting. The Rabbits reflects on the Australian origins of the author, The Lost Thing reflects on the complexity of urban
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living. The Red Tree reflects on coming into some sort of self-esteem. Show Less
LibraryThing member Phil9
Wow! Once i wrapped my head around the out of this world illustrations and pictures i found the three stories to be very interesting and quite intriguing. So much of the stories were told by the abstract and often overwhelming graphics that were going on in each page. You really had to take your
The Lost Think and The Rabbits were two of the stories told. The Lost Thing is about a young boy finds a giant sort of machine/pet that is abandon and trying to find a home. Like the urban tale of a boy finding a lost dog, taking it home and making it his pet. This story seems like a twisted world version where the dog is some giant steel monstrosity and the world he lives in is like something out of the Matrix. The Rabbits is about the first introduction of the rabbit into this new world and how it almost overnight takes over. When i read this story the first thing that came to my mind was the saying "they breed like rabbits". As the story is told the rabbits arrive from the sea and first seem friendly and just want to live in peace. Then they just explode over night and destroy the land and ruin all of the forests. Soon the original inhabitants are all but gone and the once beautiful land is a barren desert.
I enjoyed these two the most but all three were great stories and all of which were aided by amazing graphics and illustrations.
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time and let it soak in as you read page by page. The Lost Think and The Rabbits were two of the stories told. The Lost Thing is about a young boy finds a giant sort of machine/pet that is abandon and trying to find a home. Like the urban tale of a boy finding a lost dog, taking it home and making it his pet. This story seems like a twisted world version where the dog is some giant steel monstrosity and the world he lives in is like something out of the Matrix. The Rabbits is about the first introduction of the rabbit into this new world and how it almost overnight takes over. When i read this story the first thing that came to my mind was the saying "they breed like rabbits". As the story is told the rabbits arrive from the sea and first seem friendly and just want to live in peace. Then they just explode over night and destroy the land and ruin all of the forests. Soon the original inhabitants are all but gone and the once beautiful land is a barren desert.
I enjoyed these two the most but all three were great stories and all of which were aided by amazing graphics and illustrations.
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LibraryThing member sreinh2
I think that this was one of the weirdest children's book I have ever read. There are three books included in this book and I found that they were all somewhat depressing. This book was full of wonder but were it was not wonderful. The artwork in this book was the only wonderful thing for me. It
These three books were quite depressing, but they do end on a hopeful not. The artwork contrasts with the dark voice of the stories. I felt myself looking more at the visuals and paying more attention to them then to the words in the book. I kind of wish that the book was just the artwork instead of words and the pictures. The stories do have beautiful messages. The first one, The Red Tree, is about not waiting for something perfect to happen and just discover what is right in front of you. The second book, The Lost Thing, is about how our society belittles the unusual personalities or differences in people. And the third book, The Rabbits, is an allegory about what happens to a society when it is overrun by another.
Overall, I give the artwork a five, but the stories would get a three.
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was very intricate and I really liked them. These three books were quite depressing, but they do end on a hopeful not. The artwork contrasts with the dark voice of the stories. I felt myself looking more at the visuals and paying more attention to them then to the words in the book. I kind of wish that the book was just the artwork instead of words and the pictures. The stories do have beautiful messages. The first one, The Red Tree, is about not waiting for something perfect to happen and just discover what is right in front of you. The second book, The Lost Thing, is about how our society belittles the unusual personalities or differences in people. And the third book, The Rabbits, is an allegory about what happens to a society when it is overrun by another.
Overall, I give the artwork a five, but the stories would get a three.
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LibraryThing member hbcoates
I'm especially intrigued by "The Rabbits" (written by John Marsden) which I can use for my 9th grade unit about colonialism and imperialism. A different perspective!
LibraryThing member leandrod
Beautiful as usual by Tan. The Marsden story feels cliché, at least to me; but the other two are really nice.
LibraryThing member fuzzi
Three picture books make up this volume. The first was puzzling at first, but once I understood the basis for "The Red Tree", the fantastic drawings made perfect sense. All three stories were a bit strange, but so are Roald Dahl's books, so...? Even if you don't appreciate the tales, you should
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study the illustrations, which boggle the mind. Show Less
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
The illustrations are gorgeous and the stories were beautiful. I'm sorry it took me so long to get to this book. I've already reread parts of it.
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
The illustrations are gorgeous and the stories were beautiful. I'm sorry it took me so long to get to this book. I've already reread parts of it.
Awards
Parents' Choice Book Award (2011)
USBBY Outstanding International Book (Grades 6-8 — 2012)
Kids' Book Choice Awards (Finalist — 2012)
Texas Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List (Selection — 2012)
CCBC Choices (2012)
Children's Favorites Awards (Selection — 2012)
Notable Children's Book (2012)
Pages
128
ISBN
0545229243 / 9780545229241
Lexile
580L