A boy scavenges the beach for his bottle top collection when he discovers a lost “thing”; a large, freakish creature that looks like a cross between a crab and a pot-bellied stove. Thus begins a witty and strange narrative set in a creepy, futuristic environment. Shaun Tan’s artwork, collages comprised of such unusual elements as old textbook pages, oil paint, gears, and tubes, inspires young readers to figure out what goes where, and why, in this challenging mix of science fiction and puzzle book.
Beautiful but strange The eerie illustrations are strangely appealing. However, I found the end to be anti-climatic.
Rich design and deep message The lost thing is about isolation and indifference. The hero of the story is a bottle-top collector that suddenly finds a very interesting thing and decides to help it find its place. It makes funny of our busy and boring day-to-day life, of how indifferent we are to what happens around us. I laugh aloud every time I read the book; Shaun's humor is so unique!
The story is told in a very special way, with lots of details in the graphics that must be observed carefully. The drawings are just wonderful; Shaun tan mixes the grey and yellow of the cities and adds a touch of color in the lost things. I believe that the book is a great adventure to children and adults alike, every reading brings new discoveries.
As the sub-title of the books reads: "A tale for those who have more important things to pay attention to".
Shaun Tan admirer I discovered Shaun Tan in my small town local library. I live in a rural farming community in Upstate NY. I found his book The Viewer and took it home. It wasn't long before I purchased my own copy of The Viewer and then went out to seek what else I could find that Shaun Tan had a hand in. I now own Memorial, The Red Leaf, The Viewer, The Lost Thing, and The Rabbits. I can sit for hours and look at these books. The Viewer invites me into the illustrations as if it was the actual viewer to the boy in the story. Shaun Tan has buried treasures hidden throughout. I have held 12 year old boys entranced when reading it to them.As for The Lost Thing, it is another of his marvelous books with illustrations that beg to be poured over and a text that begs to be pondered. I have shared this book and the others with children and adults. All of them become involved in the books.
Sheer Brilliance Words could not describe the brilliance of this book...if only i could convey it through the wonderful images that Shaun Tan creates to convey much of his emotion. One of the best picture books I have ever seen. Shaun does it again!
A truly splendid visual treat combined with a heartwarming story The Lost Thing is a picturebook about a young boy who, when scavenging for bottle-top caps for his collection, discovers a freakish creature - bizarre in the extreme, and so unusual that no one but him can seem to notice it. So it's up to him to find a place where the "Lost Thing" belongs. The simple story is brilliantly brought to life with Age of Steam-style artwork, offering unforgettable illustrations of the young man and his Thing lost amid the maze of a big city and endless diagrams. A truly splendid visual treat combined with a heartwarming story. Highly recommended.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
