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A review by thebooknerdscorner
Tales from the Inner City by Shaun Tan
5.0
A thought-provoking collection of interweaving, magical stories highlighting the complicated relationship between nature and humankind.
"Tales From the Inner City" plays with the juxtaposition of wild animals living among humans in large city settings. Featuring stories about crocodiles living on the eighty-seventh floor, flying orcas, and killer tigers, this collection is filled with fantastical tales that force us to look at our oftentimes toxic relationship with the animals that we are meant to live in harmony with.
This book is so magical. It is hard to pinpoint where this magic comes from, but I want to put it on the author's lyrical writing style, and the bizarre scenarios that occur within in this book. I will not soon be forgetting the images of a family fishing for "stupidity or fun," a shark with an infinite number of sharks within it, and the neighborhood cat that is loved and cherished by many.
Some of these stories showcase the love that we have for animals, such as the one about dogs and cats. Other stories showcase how we are harming the Earth, such as the one about the rhino and the bears. A few of the stories even show that we must show reciprocity to animals, such as the story of the fox. One of the other themes that I thought was interesting was in the story of the tiger. In this story, some people fear the tiger, others don't believe it exists, and others still have come to love it. I feel that the story of the tiger does a great job at showcasing how different people have such unique relationships with nature and the animals in this world. Each of these stories is short, so I won't go into detail about what happens in any of the stories or poems, but trust me when I say that they all have their own dose of magic.
I also have to mention the illustrations that accompany each story. They really enhance the messages within and capture the mood of each tale perfectly. Some tales are sad and depressing, while others are full of joy and hope. The illustrations at the end of each story really bring them to life and add another layer to the stories. I especially like the illustrations within the poem about the dog; they were quite fun to compare.
Overall, I didn't think that this book was going to be as beautiful as it is, so color me surprised. I ended up loving the messages in this book and often found my throat tightening up at the content within. No joke, I will forever be haunted by the Russian doll shark; it gives me the heebie-jeebies. This book is fairly unique and I am very much intrigued to read more books by Tan in the future. A quick, heartfelt, and thought-provoking read, I'd recommend giving it a read if you come across it,
"Tales From the Inner City" plays with the juxtaposition of wild animals living among humans in large city settings. Featuring stories about crocodiles living on the eighty-seventh floor, flying orcas, and killer tigers, this collection is filled with fantastical tales that force us to look at our oftentimes toxic relationship with the animals that we are meant to live in harmony with.
This book is so magical. It is hard to pinpoint where this magic comes from, but I want to put it on the author's lyrical writing style, and the bizarre scenarios that occur within in this book. I will not soon be forgetting the images of a family fishing for "stupidity or fun," a shark with an infinite number of sharks within it, and the neighborhood cat that is loved and cherished by many.
Some of these stories showcase the love that we have for animals, such as the one about dogs and cats. Other stories showcase how we are harming the Earth, such as the one about the rhino and the bears. A few of the stories even show that we must show reciprocity to animals, such as the story of the fox. One of the other themes that I thought was interesting was in the story of the tiger. In this story, some people fear the tiger, others don't believe it exists, and others still have come to love it. I feel that the story of the tiger does a great job at showcasing how different people have such unique relationships with nature and the animals in this world. Each of these stories is short, so I won't go into detail about what happens in any of the stories or poems, but trust me when I say that they all have their own dose of magic.
I also have to mention the illustrations that accompany each story. They really enhance the messages within and capture the mood of each tale perfectly. Some tales are sad and depressing, while others are full of joy and hope. The illustrations at the end of each story really bring them to life and add another layer to the stories. I especially like the illustrations within the poem about the dog; they were quite fun to compare.
Overall, I didn't think that this book was going to be as beautiful as it is, so color me surprised. I ended up loving the messages in this book and often found my throat tightening up at the content within. No joke, I will forever be haunted by the Russian doll shark; it gives me the heebie-jeebies. This book is fairly unique and I am very much intrigued to read more books by Tan in the future. A quick, heartfelt, and thought-provoking read, I'd recommend giving it a read if you come across it,