Synopses & Reviews
A collection of three jaw-dropping stories:
The Red Tree,
The Lost Thing, and
The Rabbits, by
New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Shaun Tan.
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.
Never widely available in the U.S., these tales are presented in their entirety with new artwork and author's notes.
Review
andquot;This futuristic mail-order catalog offers hand-crafted parts for ambitious do-it-yourselfers who want to assemble a customized bird. . . The ecological subtext will resonate with some environmentally concerned children and adults who hope such a catalog will not become a necessary reality.andquot;
andmdash;School Library Journal
andquot;For children and their bird-watching parents, who will appreciate the clever premise and the message of admiration.andquot;
andmdash;Kirkus, starred review
andquot;This is an original, somewhat disturbing, and wholeheartedly bizarre (but in a good way!) picture book for older children. . . An impressive picture book debut.andquot;
andmdash;Booklist, starred review
andquot;Unsettling and unforgettable.andquot;
andmdash;Publishers Weekly, starred review
andquot;This is as cleverly executed as it is edifying...The gilding-the-lily exaggeration of birdsandrsquo; natural beauty is satire at its child-appropriate best, and the subtle digs at our perennial efforts to domesticate animals for our pleasure wonandrsquo;t be lost on young readers.andquot;
andmdash;Bulletin
andldquo;Aviary Wonders Inc. is a picture book that widens the definition of the genre. While truly a picture book, it was created for readers aged 10 and up with well-developed sensibilities and senses of humor. Confronting environmental issues in a clever and whimsical way, it is original, highly unexpected, beautiful, and thought-provoking.and#160;Aviary Wonders Inc. is by far one of the most creative books we have ever encountered.andrdquo;
andmdash;Kirkus Prize judgesandrsquo; statement
Synopsis
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.
Synopsis
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.
Never widely available in the U.S., these tales are presented in their entirety with new artwork and author's notes.
Synopsis
What can you do when all the birds are gone? Build your own! This comic environmental fable offers a businessman's dollars-and-sense solution to the drastic effects of deforestation.
Synopsis
Since 2031, Aviary Wonders Inc. has offered bird lovers a unique opportunity: Assemble your own bird from stunningly beautiful and carefully hand-crafted parts. The birds can even be taught to fly and to sing! This slyly satirical crafter's delight is offered as the perfect antidote to extinction of birds in the wild.
Brilliantly illustrated with oil paintings and filled with laugh-aloud asides as well as sobering facts about extinct species, this mock catalog is a clever send-up of contemporary sales spin and a thought-provoking look into an all-too-possible future.
About the Author
Shaun Tan is the author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling book, The Arrival, as well as Tales from Outer Suburbia and several other picture books. Shaun lives in Australia. To read more about his work, please visit www.shauntan.net.