Books - Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan

Shaun Tan's latest offering, Tales from Outer Suburbia, is a whole package that is to be poured over countless times. From the intriguing front cover, of a dog sitting on a television set, that pulls the reader, most insistently, into the book, to the back cover. The 15 stories contained within are thought provoking, they cling to the reader, like survivors of a shipwreck holding on to the remains of the ship, even though the book has been closed. Initially, with casual reading. the stories appear fantastical and even, a little weird - surely a water buffalo could not exist in a suburban landscape, and certainly would not be directing the inhabitants. Delving deeper into each story, though, the reader finds meaning in the stories, even words of wisdom. The illustrations, whose media vary from crayon, pencil, paint and collage, add further meaning and delight to a reading of the tales.

To select favourites from the 15 wonderful stories (fables), is no easy task, However the tale of Eric the foreign exchange student is a special delight amongst many. It is easy to imagine a classroom teacher reading this without the illustrations and asking the students to picture Eric. How amazed they would be to view Tan's Eric? Or what about Grandpa's Story? Or distant rain? It leaves only one thing more for this reader to say, GO, GO quickly, grab a copy of Tales from Outer Suburbia, find a quiet place to sit, then don't move till you have read every word and examined every illustration, over and over again. It will thrill and delight you!

----reviewed by pia