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Aug. 26th, 2009 08:04 pmThis week's Picture Book You Should Read is The Red Tree by Shaun Tan.
This book (along with a few others - Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, two more I haven't gotten to yet) is why I started doing my weekly picture book feature. I came across this book while shelving once and fell immediately in love with it. I put it on display whenever I have the opportunity and, really, if you read one picture book that I recommend here, I wish you would read this one.
Why should you read this book? Because it is beautiful. Shaun Tan's art is stunning, gorgeous and rich and surreal. But beyond that, the book is beautiful because of the story. We follow a little red-haired girl through a huge and terrifyingly bizarre day full of hazards and depression and loneliness. The only ray of hope is the tiny red leaf that can be found in each illustration. Until the end...
"Sometimes the day begins with nothing to look forward to and things go from bad to worse...Sometimes you just don't know what you are supposed to do or who you are meant to be...and the day seems to end the way it began...
"But suddenly there it is right in front of you, bright and vivid, quietly waiting, just as you imagined it would be."
I love this book. You should read it.
This book (along with a few others - Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, two more I haven't gotten to yet) is why I started doing my weekly picture book feature. I came across this book while shelving once and fell immediately in love with it. I put it on display whenever I have the opportunity and, really, if you read one picture book that I recommend here, I wish you would read this one.
Why should you read this book? Because it is beautiful. Shaun Tan's art is stunning, gorgeous and rich and surreal. But beyond that, the book is beautiful because of the story. We follow a little red-haired girl through a huge and terrifyingly bizarre day full of hazards and depression and loneliness. The only ray of hope is the tiny red leaf that can be found in each illustration. Until the end...
"Sometimes the day begins with nothing to look forward to and things go from bad to worse...Sometimes you just don't know what you are supposed to do or who you are meant to be...and the day seems to end the way it began...
"But suddenly there it is right in front of you, bright and vivid, quietly waiting, just as you imagined it would be."
I love this book. You should read it.
