Graphic Novel Review - Lost and Found: Three by Shaun Tan (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Middle Grade

Genre: Graphic Novel/Fantasy
Size: 128 pages

Publisher: Signet
Release Date: March 1, 2011

ISBN-13: 978-0545229241
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Amazon Vine
Rating: 5/5 stars

Previously I have read The Arrival by Shaun Tan I was amazed by both the artwork and the depth of the story in that book.  So when I was offered Lost and Found through the Amazon Vine program I was super excited to read it.  This is a fantastic book; it appeals to both kids and adults, contains stories accessable on many levels, and has just absolutely enchanting artwork.

This book consists of three stories.  The first is The Red Tree which tells the story of a young girl dealing with troubles only to find hope at the end of her trials.  The second is The Lost Thing which tells of a boy who finds a Lost Thing on the beach and tries to find a place where it belongs.  The third is written by John Marsden and is called The Rabbits.   This is a story about white rabbits who take over a world and eventually destroy it.

All of the stories have the story itself and then a deeper meaning as well.  My son who is four years old enjoyed The Lost Thing the most; he was fascinated with the strangeness of the Lost Thing and was interested in the idea of finding strange things that don't belong in the world.  This story will also touch a chord with adults as it addresses the idea that as you get older you see less of wonder and strangeness in the world.  My favorite was the Red Tree; I loved the complex art work in this one and the depth of the story despite it being very sparse on words.

The artwork is fantastic.  Again the Lost Thing has the type of artwork that I most associate with Shaun Tan; pictures of strange fantastical beings that are part fantasy, part machine, and part sci-fi.  I love Shaun Tan's art; you can look at these pictures for a long amount of time and continually see new things...they are complex and fascinating.  There is definitely a bit of steampunk theme throughout; the stories are a bit darker and feature beings made of both monstrous and mechanical parts meshed together.

Overall this is just and absolutely stellar book.  I really enjoyed it and my son did as well.  Wonderful stories that are accessible at different levels and mean different things to children and adults, complex and fantastical artwork, this was just a super interesting and engaging book.  I can't wait to see what Tan comes up with next.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Get Steampunked!
- Graphic Novels Challenge List