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A review by bellaklatan
The Red Tree by Shaun Tan
5.0
i first read the red tree for an an assignment for a children's literature class i took a few years back and it has been a favorite ever since. my interpretation of the book is that it addresses depression, but it can also be applied to general feelings of hopelessness and sadness.
the book contains very little text, so the artwork does most of the heavy-lifting in expressing the emotion of the story. shaun tan's illustrations are powerful and mesmerizing, and the use of color helps to capture the moods of the book perfectly. the details in the illustrations are incredible–i could read this book many times over and notice something new every time! i also love how the concept and feelings of hope have been represented visually.
i would absolutely recommend the red tree to readers of any age. even though i first read it as an adult, it was at a time in my life where i'd recently gotten out of one of my worst (years long) periods of depression and the story moved me/resonated with me deeply. tan also uses language simple enough that young children would be able to understand the message, even if they're unable to fully articulate their own emotions. regardless of a person's age, i think this book can be incredibly relatable and important in showing someone that they are not alone in what they are feeling.
the book contains very little text, so the artwork does most of the heavy-lifting in expressing the emotion of the story. shaun tan's illustrations are powerful and mesmerizing, and the use of color helps to capture the moods of the book perfectly. the details in the illustrations are incredible–i could read this book many times over and notice something new every time! i also love how the concept and feelings of hope have been represented visually.
i would absolutely recommend the red tree to readers of any age. even though i first read it as an adult, it was at a time in my life where i'd recently gotten out of one of my worst (years long) periods of depression and the story moved me/resonated with me deeply. tan also uses language simple enough that young children would be able to understand the message, even if they're unable to fully articulate their own emotions. regardless of a person's age, i think this book can be incredibly relatable and important in showing someone that they are not alone in what they are feeling.