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Shaun Tan
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From: Kim Caraher <caraher>
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 22:50:13 +0930
Hi, I'm an Australian writer who found out about this list from our SCBWI newsletter. I've written nine books, only one of which is in print in the US, called My teacher turns into a Tyrannosaurus.
I've just read through the archives, which brought up so many issues. I'd like to put in my two cents worth on The Red Tree, which I reviewed for a Children's Book Courncil shortlist brunch in Darwin last month. Many admirers still seem to think it is mainly secondary age and up. I've read it to a few age groups, and found 8 to 9 year olds up seemed to appreciate the main ideas and imagery clearly. My daughter
(nine) said 'it's about how if you want to be really sad and bored you can be sad and bored, but if you want to be happy you can be happy.'. I was interested that she saw 'boredom' as the main factor that might make you sad - not any catastrophe. She really liked the book and thought it was happy in the end with 'amazing' pictures, and has re-read it finding more detail. The double page spread with the newspaper collage could take quite a while to get through, particularly if you translate from other languages. I liked Shaun's comment on the 7.30 report that a picture book has as many pictures in it as an exhibition -- it would be a breakthrough for both art and literature if this perception became more prevalent.
At the CBC conference this year, Shaun and his editor at Lothian referred a few times to his current project: a 96 page picture book with no text and no colour. Although the editor in particular seemed more than a little anxious about the prospects for this book, I'd say that bringing out something like this shows something that the Australian chn's literature community does perceive in itself -- that it is ground-breaking, that it is always pushing the boundaries to something new, incorporating more, avoiding and censoring less. Of course this is always controversial -- there are plenty of Australians who don't want to see the boundaries stretched. But the challenges of doing this and keeping the appeal to children -- this is what really makes many of the books for me: literary talent together with stories and characters strong enough to keep those harsh critics, kids, involved and reading.
Kim
Received on Thu 18 Jul 2002 08:20:13 AM CDT
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 22:50:13 +0930
Hi, I'm an Australian writer who found out about this list from our SCBWI newsletter. I've written nine books, only one of which is in print in the US, called My teacher turns into a Tyrannosaurus.
I've just read through the archives, which brought up so many issues. I'd like to put in my two cents worth on The Red Tree, which I reviewed for a Children's Book Courncil shortlist brunch in Darwin last month. Many admirers still seem to think it is mainly secondary age and up. I've read it to a few age groups, and found 8 to 9 year olds up seemed to appreciate the main ideas and imagery clearly. My daughter
(nine) said 'it's about how if you want to be really sad and bored you can be sad and bored, but if you want to be happy you can be happy.'. I was interested that she saw 'boredom' as the main factor that might make you sad - not any catastrophe. She really liked the book and thought it was happy in the end with 'amazing' pictures, and has re-read it finding more detail. The double page spread with the newspaper collage could take quite a while to get through, particularly if you translate from other languages. I liked Shaun's comment on the 7.30 report that a picture book has as many pictures in it as an exhibition -- it would be a breakthrough for both art and literature if this perception became more prevalent.
At the CBC conference this year, Shaun and his editor at Lothian referred a few times to his current project: a 96 page picture book with no text and no colour. Although the editor in particular seemed more than a little anxious about the prospects for this book, I'd say that bringing out something like this shows something that the Australian chn's literature community does perceive in itself -- that it is ground-breaking, that it is always pushing the boundaries to something new, incorporating more, avoiding and censoring less. Of course this is always controversial -- there are plenty of Australians who don't want to see the boundaries stretched. But the challenges of doing this and keeping the appeal to children -- this is what really makes many of the books for me: literary talent together with stories and characters strong enough to keep those harsh critics, kids, involved and reading.
Kim
Received on Thu 18 Jul 2002 08:20:13 AM CDT
