Book Review: Lost and Found

Sensational doesn't even begin to describe Shaun Tan's "Lost and Found". This book is actually a collection of three stories that Tan has previously published to great acclaim including: The Red Tree, The Lost Thing, and The Rabbits. These three stories are quite diverse so a reader can easily find at least one story that strikes his or her fancy. This book has been listed as a children's book as well as a graphic novel. Typically it is a huge feat to create a book that is of interest to both children and adults, but Tan does it!! Children will enjoy the intricate illustrations while adults will love the Gothic undertones and brilliant drawings. I haven't seen this kind of artistry in a long time...if ever.

The Red Tree can be described as the adult version of "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day". The illustrations are the best in the collection (in my opinions). The story is simple yet profound.

The Lost Thing is about a boy who finds a thing that is lost on the beach and tries to find it a home. I did not enjoy this tale as much as the others. Still, I though that the drawings were fantastic. It is also proof that within the three stories in this collection, there is definitely something for everyone.

The Rabbits is a story about rabbits that begin to come from all over to inhabit a land that is already populated. The rabbits inflict great pain on the natives and leave the land worse off. The story is symbolic of the treatment of Native Americans when the Europeans arrived in North America. The illustrations are not my favorite for they are a bit too Dali-esque for her. In fact, I find them to be a bit scary. Still, there are certainly readers out there who will fall in love with the pictures.
Overall, this is a fantastic collection. One for children and graphic novel-lovers alike.

-DLP