33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply wonderful, August 6, 2005
It is difficult to classify this superb book. It is classified as a children's book, but it will have appeal to all ages. To a certain extent it reminds me of the great works of art by Graeme Base and John Sceszka and Lane Smith, but again it is different. The imagies are almost surreal - certainly reminiscent of Dali on an odd day.
A simple tale, without a moral? Perhaps so, perhaps not - I like to think it is a comment on all we have lost, and found, and let go again.
The illustrations are magnificent, quirky and engaging, and you notice different things with each reading (or viewing?). Our hero is a simple soul, the lost thing also simple and yet remarkably complex. My favourite part is where our hero gives it something to eat once he has discovered what it likes, and the food he is offering it is christmas decorations!
It is an absolutely delightful book. Share it with your children, or your partner, or your best friend. Or keep it for yourself. It isn't a book that is easy to classify, but it is definitely a keeper.
I recommend it highly.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan, October 4, 2004
In today's world, we are bombarded everyday with advertisement and hyperbole to get us to buy products and services. As a result of all this exaggeration, it is extremely difficult to find something that actually lives up to all it's credits.
However, "The Lost Thing" was one of these uncommon books.It is advertised as a kid's book, and yet, I think that it would be much more enjoyable for an older audience.
We have already seen, from Shaun T's "The Red Tree" that the author has incredible artistic talent, especially in painting. In this book, he uses this talent to an amazing degree to create a story and a world unique to the story.
The urban setting of Suburbia is filled with details -which are essential for a good story, novel or picture-book. From the everyday people to the shop windows, Suburbia is a richly imagined world where people seem to have reached their peak - identical, sophisticated in technology but simple in emotion. They have created an ordered, mechanical world, but one day a boy finds a thing on the beach, unlike anything else in the world. He strives to find it a place to live, and in doing so travels through the nooks and crannies of Suburbia until he finds a place for the thing.
One of the reasons why I was at first apprehensive about buying this book was because, quite simply, it was a picture book. I could finish it in no time at all - was it really worth my money? Well, as a matter of fact, I reread it about twice a week for the next half-year. I've probably got just as much time and enjoyment peering at all the details than from any novel. Whenever feeling depressed, tired or upset, I could always pull my head under this blanket of a book and disappear for a few minutes, emerging later with a warm feeling in my heart.
And I've noticed that all the reviews for this book so far, including mine - are Australian! I would take any opportunity I could to reveal this book to a wider, more global community - because in terms of artwork, plot and imagination, it is very difficult to compare. It is about time Shaun Tan got real recognition from the world. He has prodigious talent.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rich design and deep message, December 22, 2006
The lost thing is about isolation and indifference. The hero of the story is a bottle-top collector that suddenly finds a very interesting thing and decides to help it find its place. It makes funny of our busy and boring day-to-day life, of how indifferent we are to what happens around us. I laugh aloud every time I read the book; Shaun's humor is so unique!
The story is told in a very special way, with lots of details in the graphics that must be observed carefully. The drawings are just wonderful; Shaun tan mixes the grey and yellow of the cities and adds a touch of color in the lost things. I believe that the book is a great adventure to children and adults alike, every reading brings new discoveries.
As the sub-title of the books reads: "A tale for those who have more important things to pay attention to".
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