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.