Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4164 in Books
• Published on: 2009-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 96 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780545055871
• Condition: NEW
• Notes:
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 4 Up—For those who loved Tan's surreal and evocative The Arrival (Scholastic, 2007), the Australian author follows up with a brilliant collection of illustrated vignettes. Fifteen short texts, each accompanied by Tan's signature black-and-white and full-color artwork, take the mundane world and transform it into a place of magical wonders. In the opening tale, a water buffalo sits in an abandoned suburban lot, offering silent but wise direction to those youngsters who are patient enough to follow his guidance. In "Eric," the title character (a tiny, leaflike creature) visits a family as a foreign exchange student and fascinates them with his sense of wonder. His parting gift to the family is sure to warm even the coldest heart. Other stories describe the fate of unread poetry, the presence of silent stick figures who roam the suburbs, or an expedition to the edge of a map. In spirit, these stories are something akin to the wit and wisdom of Shel Silverstein. The surrealist art of Rene Magritte also comes to mind, but perhaps Chris Van Allsburg's beloved The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (Houghton, 1984) comes closest as a comparable work. While somewhat hard to place due to the unusual nature of the piece, this book is a small treasure, or, rather, a collection of treasures.—Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Library, Ontario, Canada
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* After teaching the graphic format a thing or two about its own potential for elegance with The Arrival (2007), Tan follows up with this array of 15 extraordinary illustrated tales. But here is an achievement in diametric opposition to his silent masterpiece, as Tan combines spare words and weirdly dazzling images—in styles ranging from painting to doodles to collage—to create a unity that holds complexities of emotion seldom found in even the most mature works. The story of a water buffalo who sits in a vacant lot mysteriously pointing children “in the right direction” is whimsical but also ominous. The centerpiece, “Grandpa’s Story,” recalling a ceremonial marriage journey and the unnameable perils faced therein, captures a tone of aching melancholy and longing, but also, ultimately, a sense of deep, deep happiness. And the eerie “Stick Figures” is both a poignant and rather disturbing narrative that plays out in the washed-out daylight of suburban streets where curious, tortured creatures wait at the ends of pathways and behind bus stops. The thoughtful and engaged reader will take from these stories an experience as deep and profound as with anything he or she has ever read. Grades 7-12. --Jesse Karp

Review
Praise for The Arrival:
“Shaun Tan’s The Arrival may be the most brilliant book of the year.” — School Library Journal, starred review

“Filled with both subtlety and grandeur, the book is a unique work that not only fulfills but also expands the potential of its form.” — Booklist, starred review

“Few will remain unaffected by this timeless stunner.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

Customer Reviews

Fanciful Fiction
This is an interesting book, to say the least. It says it's for kids 12 and older, and I would agree. Younger children would probably find it... a bit confusing.

There are a number of short stories, some as short as a page. The illustrations are pretty cool, and there are a lot of them. A couple of the stories have quite a few pages of drawings to go with the short text. They help to flesh out the story more visually.

When I said some may find them confusing, I mean that the author doesn't really end the stories. They are mostly open ended, making the reader ask some questions, and continue the story in their own mind and imagination. This isn't a bad thing at all, it's a good way to get kids to stretch their minds a bit. But for some with extremely short attention spans, or too young, it can be a little trying.

One of my favorites was about what happens to poetry that no one reads, gets tucked away in books, behind things, etc. It was pretty much entirely illustrated. You read it on scraps of paper that seem to have randomly come together to create the story. Quite inventive, and imaginative.

Imaginative Stories and Strong Illustrations
When I read this book I was completely unfamiliar with Shaun Tan so I really had no idea what to expect. The art is strong, intriguing and caught my attention immediately. The stories are imaginative and seem to suggest multiple levels of meaning.

Both art and story line combine elements of realism and fantasy in a way that provokes one to think. This book will probably be most appreciated by older readers with vivid imaginations. If a reader can easily set aside conventional perspectives and simply go with the assumptions presented then it is more likely the reader can appreciate this book.

In summary, this book is a series of fantasy vignettes with a morality twist; if the reader is either a fan of fantasy or Shaun Tan then this book may please.

A Treasure Trove of Quirky Sketches, Elegant Poems, Unusual Stories, & Collage-like Art
"On a cold night last winter there was a fire at the house of a man who only days before had beaten his dog to death. Being a strong man, he was able to rescue all his belongings single-handedly, carryng them out of the burning building and onto the front lawn. As soon as he finished, a hundred dogs of every shape and size trotted into the flickering light from the surrounding shadows and promptly sat on top of every appliance a piece of furniture as if it were there own. They would not let the man come close and snapped at him viciously when he tried to hit them, but otherwise remained still, staring impassively at the flames." -- From the story Wake, in Tales from Outer Suburbia

I hadn't heard of Shaun Tan when I selected Tales from Outer Suburbia from the Amazon Vine Program, but the cover on the Advanced Copy was enough to snag my interest.

In all the thousands of books I've read over the years, I can honestly say I have never seen anything like Tales from Outer Suburbia! For those who appreciate idiosyncratic art, skewed (yet poetic) observations, and unusual presentation, this book will be right up your alley.

Geared towards children aged 12 and up (but prized by adults of any age who are inspired by utter originality), Tales from Outer Suburbia fifteen "stories" accompanied by Tan's stunning, pleasantly strange artwork. One "story" is a public service announcement about making your own pet out of discarded items, while another describes a hidden world found in attics all around a neighborhood.

Stick figures roam the suburbs in yet another story, while a bizarre nameless holiday chronicles the yearly ritual of leaving one's most prized possessions under a decorated TV roof antennae for an enormous, blind reindeer to hook upon its antlers before leaping gracefully, taking the beloved objects with him.

And what book can boast that theTable of Contents is just as handsome and original as the rest of its pages? Well, Tales from Outer Suburbia can! The TofC looks like a plain brown mailing envelope with the publisher information as the return address, the mailing address serving as the dedication, and actual story titles represented by mailing stamps--complete with title, story art and page number (the page numbers being the "cost" of the stamp). Too awesome!

If your pre-teen or young adult appreciates smart writing and skilled artistry in various forms, Tales from Outer Suburbia would be a superb addition to their library. Adults who love unusual tales would also appreciate this 96-page book, as would writers and artists who would benefit from a delightful jolt of inspiration and whimsy.

Next, I look forward to reading Tan's acclaimed book The Arrival!

-- Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book