• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780545229241
• ISBN-13: 978-0545229241

Summary: A girl finds a bright spot in a dark world. A boy leads a strange, lost creature home. And a group of peaceful creatures loses their home to cruel invaders. Three stories, written and illustrated by Shaun Tan, about how we lose and find what matters most to us.

Lost and Found by Shaun Tan is geared toward readers ages 9 – 12, but its a visual treasure that can be appreciated by adults as well, and it’s stories about emotions, relationships, and communication are sad, but resonate a poignant message of hope. Tan’s whimsical illustrations are fantastic in their detail and scope. Though the book is short on words, the images speak volumes and their ability to capture and convey emotions will leave the reader lingering on each page.

Each story holds a charm and innate “sweetness” in spite of the sometimes bleak imagery and narratives as they are old. The Red Tree is a visual journey that perfectly captures the inexplicable nature of the human emotional state. The pressure, depression, isolation, but eventual hope of the girl in the story is something that anyone can relate to on some level. The Lost Thing,  a story about a boy and the strange “Thing” he finds. The Thing is a bright and whimsical anomaly in a gray, industrialized setting. No one notices the Thing, until the boy points it out to them, and then, they only warn him away from it.

The story is a reminder of how growing up can inhibit our imagination and make us passively intolerant of things we don’t understand. It cautions the importance of finding a balance between every day life that makes us members of a social machine and maintaining individuality that makes us unique and special. Finally, The Rabbits, a story written by John Marsden but illustrated by Tan, is a cautionary tale about the breakdown of communication between cultures. The rabbits who invade the world of the billabongs are very similar to the British colonization of Australia, or the displacement of the Indians in North America. Cultures driven by progress that clash with the native ecology and the harm that comes from such conflict.

Lost and Found is more than a book for children. It is a book for parents to share with their children. The best part about this book is that it is unapologetic. Tan doesn’t sugar these life lessons in his art or his writing. He speaks to the children like adults, recognizing that they are smart enough to understand the messages within. Each story is left with an ending that is hopeful and interpretive to a young mind. Children, by nature, will see the positivity in this book. Adults may find the work depressing and unsuitable for the young, but in reality a child’s capacity to hope is something we can all learn from.

I give Lost and Found by Shaun Tan 5 of 5 stars.

 

 

Pick up your copy of Lost & Found by Shaun Tan using the link below!
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