We are naturally curious beings, constantly seeking answers to an infinite amount of questions. It is this natural curiosity which is woven into the fabric of our being that leads us to explore and experiment; to question and to investigate. As a teacher, it is our duty to keep this curiosity alight in our students encouraging them to act on their curiosity and seek a deeper knowledge of themselves and the world around them. We want to provide children with opportunities that captivate the imagination, expand their understanding of their world and ignite enthusiasm for learning. Such an experience, I believe, is commonly found amongst the pages of quality children's literature especially when introduced to the unique stylings of the one and only, Shaun Tan. I would go as far as saying that Shaun Tan is one of the most renowned children's author/illustrators around today and rightly so. His works are riddled with absurdity with an air of surrealism, engaging readers well before they open the front cover. Tan's works are intriguing and inspire curiosity so I am very much looking forward to sharing them with you. Shaun Tan's work as an author/illustrator is extensive, so for the purpose of this blog post I have chosen to focus on The Lost Thing and Tales of Outer Suburbia. The Lost Thing tells the story of boy who comes across a...well...lost thing on the beach. Tea-pot like and bright red, this lost things stands out quite significantly from the world in which the boy lives, emphasised through Tan's manipulation of artistic elements like colour and line. As the story progresses we come to see the boys attempt at understanding the lost thing and in doing so eventually finding a place for it to belong. This story could be used to explore concepts such as belonging (sorry to all those Australian HSC students circa 2011), communication, marginalisation and consumerism. Somewhat totalitarian in nature, the world in which the boy lives is clearly different to that of the utopian world the lost thing belongs and how this is represented through illustration makes for a really interesting visual literacy study in an older years classroom. This piece of literary gold can also act as a catalyst for discussion around misunderstanding, questioning our decisions to ostracise those who we deem to be different and beauty in the uniqueness of the 'individual'. Tales of Outer Suburbia is a collection of short stories which are some of Tan's more abstract works. All of the stories within the compilation occur on the outskirts of town where the strange and fantastical occur amongst the realistic. This blur between surreal and realistic Tan achieves so well and it is because of this that audiences are engaged from the get go. Each and every one of the stories in this book would allow for an in depth literature study or even just pure enjoyment. Whether it be a story about a postage stamp sized foreign exchange student called Eric or an ambiguous night turtle rescue, Tales of Outer Suburbia will leave you either wanting to read more or write your own surreal outer suburbia experience. What a literary gem for those older kids, particularly those who find reading to be disengaging or uneventful. As there always is, there is a website which is a great tool to extend reading as well as a short film available to purchase through iTunes of The Lost Thing.
Go and visit at: http://www.thelostthing.com Enjoy! xx
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