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Lost and Found: Three by Shaun Tan

4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 · rating details · 2,487 ratings · 325 reviews

A collection of three jaw-dropping stories: THE RED TREE, THE LOST THING, and THE RABBITS, by New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Shaun Tan

A girl finds a bright spot in a dark world. A boy leads a strange, lost creature home. And a group of peaceful creatures loses their home to cruel invaders. Three stories, written and illustrated by Shaun Tan, about how we...more

Hardcover, 128 pages

Published March 1st 2011 by Arthur A. Levine Books

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Apr 13, 2013 Estrella rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-literature, favorites

Shaun Taun es Dios. La forma tan extraña de ilustrar sus cuentos siempre me hace sentir como en un sueño. Y esos dibujos raros me atraen en cada una de sus obras.

Este libro contiene tres de sus cuentos. El primer cuento es lost & found, ahí un chico se encuentra una especie de mascota que estaba perdida, pero ésta es una mascota muy especial y diferente porque parece una máquina o especie de caldera gigantesca que tiene extremidades como de pulpo. Los dos personajes se hacen amigos y se divi...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Tim Baldwin rated it 5 of 5 stars

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Shaun Tan’s quasi-literary work, you are severely missing out. I have read through some but not all of his Tales, shall we call them, and was immediately drawn in. Both Tales from Outer Suburbia and Lost & Found are a compilation of short stories with accompanying illustrations that are just as much a part of the story as the words. The attention to detail in the illustrations and the deliberate diction choices make Tan’s work some of the best when i...more For those of you who aren’t familiar with Shaun Tan’s quasi-literary work, you are severely missing out. I have read through some but not all of his Tales, shall we call them, and was immediately drawn in. Both Tales from Outer Suburbia and Lost & Found are a compilation of short stories with accompanying illustrations that are just as much a part of the story as the words. The attention to detail in the illustrations and the deliberate diction choices make Tan’s work some of the best when it comes to presenting modern man and the world in which we live.

In each of Tan’s short stories, a world and atmosphere is created through the illustrations that only perpetuates the running metaphor that Tan is communicating. Some may seem magical, abstract, futuristic, even apocalyptic but they all have an eery familiarity that leaves the reader relating and empathizing. For example, one of the tales in the Lost & Found collection titled The Lost Thing follows a boy in his journey to find the home of a lost “thing” he finds during his walk. This “thing” is personified in the form of a large red mechanical robot that has legs that look more like that of a spiders and has no face in order to show emotion. It is absurd, really, but isn’t that the purpose of art: to show reality through the absurd? After a read or two, it will most definitely change the way one looks at the world!

Tan brilliantly uses satire, sarcasm, and wit to better demonstrate the struggle his protagonists go through. His diction and syntax are simple, but deliberately so – saying a lot with short and concise writing technique. An example of such, hidden within the illustrated environment of The Lost Thing is a simple message that leaves the reader thinking, if for just a second, what is really being said: “Today is the tomorrow you expected yesterday.” It is at once a simple statement, yet makes fun of societies increasing objective to say something very simple through ambiguous statements or labels.

Furthermore, the page layout throughout the collections are never the same. It seems, Tan carefully constructs each tale as its own piece of art. Even more, it’s as if each page is its own individual painting, each page sending its own message to the reader. This is evident through the placement of sentences and words on the page and all the subtle details that come together to create a world that is a projection of our very world synthesized through Shaun Tan’s mind. These are allegories for man of man, constructed for even the youngest of eyes.

With differences in one book to the next, Tales from Outer Suburbia is different in overall structure and presentation than Lost & Found. The difference lies in the amount of words in comparison to the amount of illustrations to tell the story. Tales from Outer Suburbia utilizes written words more so than illustrations, where as Lost & Found is just the opposite. Both are equally effective in telling the stories within and this contrast only strengthens the appeal to Tan’s work overall. Variety is good, for it makes light of Tan’s diverse talent in developing his metaphors for the reader to decipher.

All in all, each piece of Shaun Tan’s work that I have been exposed to leaves me most impressed with its form and function. It takes great focus, dedication, and foresight to create literary art in this form. And, most importantly, it takes a brutally realistic view of the world in order to translate it into this amalgamation of illustrated and written literature. So, sit back and relax with any of Shaun Tan’s work and enjoy the ease of the read and welcome the familiarities each story holds in relation to your own world.
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Dec 04, 2012 Ed rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tan, Shaun. (2011). Lost & Found. New York: Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Books. unpaginated. ISBN 978-0-545-22924-1 (Hard Cover); $21.99.

For those readers who follow film, Shaun Tan has earned an academy award for his work adapting one of the three marvelous stories in this book to the world of animated film. This beautifully bound collection gathers together three stories that made the rounds in Australia, but never seemed to find their way to the U.S. They were lost but now they are found!...more Tan, Shaun. (2011). Lost & Found. New York: Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Books. unpaginated. ISBN 978-0-545-22924-1 (Hard Cover); $21.99.

For those readers who follow film, Shaun Tan has earned an academy award for his work adapting one of the three marvelous stories in this book to the world of animated film. This beautifully bound collection gathers together three stories that made the rounds in Australia, but never seemed to find their way to the U.S. They were lost but now they are found! “Red Tree” is an emotionally packed story following a young, depressed girl when hope seems to abandon her. While the ending brings satisfying emotional relief, careful readers will notice that even in the longest, most never ending dark times, hope remains, although sometimes we must search carefully. The often grey, muted palate explodes with the same leaf color that clings to each page. The next story, “The Lost Thing,” follows a homeless thing. Seemingly without purpose, our Thing seems forlorn. Our protagonist valiantly seeks to understand the Lost Thing's purpose from his very different cultural background. Unable to understand or classify the Lost Thing, he happens upon help from the government and its "sweepus underum carpetae" philosophy of dealing with members of society that don't fit neatly. Juxtaposed against an opening filled with all sorts of exact and scientific bottle caps neatly arranged and sorted, this chilling story rants against our compunction to remove any sort of mystery for the sake of scientific order (even if it is something as absurd as bottle caps). As with all of Shaun Tan's books, the art makes the reader think as much as the words do. The final story, “The Rabbits,” is written by John Marsden and illustrated by Tan. One wishes that the two of them would collaborate more often! Marsden's exploration of the never-ending colonial conquerors is given exquisite depth by Tan's fusion of medieval and futuristic paintings. Without even reading one single word or doing anything other than paying attention to the color shift, readers will understand what Tan is doing with the gradual removal of color and vibrancy, which so perfectly matches the text. This story is a chilling dystopian fantasy that uses rabbits, gentle rabbits, and their copious Fibonacci reproduction to ask us to look at our own accumulation of "gentle" policies and changes that steal ownership of the land and pervert its purpose. Readers can use this story as a way to draw parallels to a much bigger world than just Australia alone. Think of what has happened in much of Africa, our dustbowls, Hawaii, and many more places. Tan's books are seemingly very simple but grow vastly in complexity with each fresh new inspection and examination. With The Arrival, Tales From Outer Suburbia, and now this fabulous new (in the U.S.) collection of graphic stories, Tan has a body of work that deserves its own course of study in schools. Tan is one of the world's truly gifted storytellers; his academy award victory reflects the same honor he should be receiving for the quality of the books he creates. Buy this book! [Update on Tan’s award status: He is now the newest recipient of the Astrid Lingrid Memorial Award, which is an award that pays the winner about $750,000.00! It is the largest award given to children or young adult authors or illustrators.]
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Sep 08, 2012 Forrest rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a beautiful book, full of wonder, but not completely wonderful. The artwork is spectacular and the stories are better-than-adequate. But I see this as a bittersweet collection. The stories end on a hopeful note, but if you're on meds, you may want to dose up before diving in. Not that the stories are depressing, just a bit gray, ironically. The vibrant artwork contrasts pretty sharply with the subdued voice of the stories, making the read a bit of a push-pull. Try this: have someone read...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Liviania rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lost and Found: Three by Shaun Tan is a beautiful book. Tan's paintings vary in style, but all of them are full of interesting details. (Okay, not all of them are even paintings. There are collages, for instance.) I've noticed different things in the images everytime I've opened the book. The images stand well on their own, without the accompaniment of text.

The first story in this omnibus is "The Red Tree." This one has the most experimental art; sometimes the style changes between pages. "The R...more Lost and Found: Three by Shaun Tan is a beautiful book. Tan's paintings vary in style, but all of them are full of interesting details. (Okay, not all of them are even paintings. There are collages, for instance.) I've noticed different things in the images everytime I've opened the book. The images stand well on their own, without the accompaniment of text.

The first story in this omnibus is "The Red Tree." This one has the most experimental art; sometimes the style changes between pages. "The Red Tree" gets quite dark, which could make it unappealing to younger children. There aren't many words, but the typography interacts with the pictures in interesting ways. The words are mostly unimportant to "The Red Tree." It's less of a story than a progression through the tone of a story, with misery gripping ever tighter then eventually giving way to hope. "The Red Tree" was my least favorite of the three, but only because the other two are such strong stories.

Next is "The Lost Thing." I loved the scrapbook style layout of this story. The narrator collects bottle caps and it seems like a fitting layout to express his personality. I also loved the bits of type included in the borders that sometimes show up in the middle of the page. This story would be good to read to a younger child before bed or for an older child (first grade or so) to read by his or herself. While it is far more conventional than "The Red Tree," it still has a distinctive style. This one was definitely my favorite, both for the humor and the sweetness. (Note: Shaun Tan just one an Oscar for the animated version of "The Lost Thing.")

The final story, "The Rabbits," was written by John Marsden (author of the Tommorrow series). This one is definitely for elementary aged children. It's an allegory of the British colonization of Australia from the point of view of the Aborigines. It's well-told and worth discussing with older children, but toddlers are more likely to be upset by the unhappy ending. Picture book does not necessarily mean children's book. The stylized profile of the rabbits did make for some incredible paintings, and Tan makes excellent use of negative space.

I think LOST AND FOUND is a good choice for families. The adults will enjoy the story and art as much as the kids. In fact, some adults will enjoy it even without the kids. (less)

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Jun 04, 2012 Ellie rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you are looking for the new destination to which Shaun Tan's magical style would take you, this is actually a prequel. He published the three stories in this book separately way before 2001. So logically, they are very different in voice and style, both from his most recent books and among themselves.

The Red Tree is very similar to an usual children's book in its illustrative strategy: each plate illustrates a phrase in a sentence in a story from a child's life. It's probably the least natur...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Kay Mcgriff rated it 5 of 5 stars

Oh my. I am so glad I splurged on Lost and Found by Shaun Tan in the last book order. It is more than worth it to have this collection of three previously published short stories. If you haven't yet clicked the link to explore Tan's website, you really should do so as it is filled with artwork and thoughtful reflection.

The first thing that drew me in to these stories was the artwork. These pictures are strange and bizarre--and something I wouldn't mind hanging on the wall for me to see every day...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Abs rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: abs-favorites, fifth-grade-reading

What a powerful trio of books! "Lost and Found" has some amazing illustrations and messages. I would love to use this book as a read aloud in my fifth grade classroom, but I'm unsure of how to do that right now. It includes three books, "The Red Tree," "The Lost Thing," and "The Rabbits." "The Rabbits" fits directly into my curriculum because it mirrors how the Europeans came over to the Americas and wiped out the Native Americans. "The Red Tree" really speaks to how some of my students might be...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Simcha Wood rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't generally take the opportunity to read picture books these days, so I feel a bit fortunate to have come across Shaun Tan's Lost and Found. This book combines three brilliantly crafted stories with the most mesmerizing artwork I've ever seen in a book ostensibly targeted to children.

Though it is a children's book, the book is one of those rare jewels that can be appreciated by people of all ages. The stories are not dumbed down, but they have a surface simplicity that will make them immed...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Angie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-fiction, nonfiction, website

Shaun Tan is extremely talented. His work just blows me away. I thought this collection of stories was very powerful. and the illustrations are magnificent. Tan is like a strange cooky version of Dr. Seuss; he is whimsical and there is just so much going on in the pictures. You want to pour over them for a long while. The three stories in this book are all variations of loss and finding your place in the world. The first "The Red Flower" deals with a girl's depression and the darkness and loneli...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, picture-books, graphic-novel

Who says picture books are just for kids? Lost and Found is a breathtakingly beautiful and evocative picture book for teens, but I think really enjoyable for adults. It's a collection of three stories: "The Red Tree," about a girl's struggle with depression; "The Lost Thing," about a boy trying to find a place in the world for an enormous lost robot-like creature; and "The Rabbits," about a rabbits who arrive by sea into the land of another animal group (not sure what they are) and immediately i...more

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Nov 18, 2011 Kyle rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. First of all, I'd like to just address the artwork of this...picture book. It's great. Back to the point. Yeah. It's a picture book. Not really a kids picture book, more of a...well, I'd define this as a THINKING picture book. I think I've read The Rabbits before (not sure if I actually did or not), but the rest is a Shaun Tan first for me.

RED FLOWER

This book is split into three parts, or stories. The first, which is this section, is about a girl trying to find her place in a vast world. She fee...more First of all, I'd like to just address the artwork of this...picture book. It's great. Back to the point. Yeah. It's a picture book. Not really a kids picture book, more of a...well, I'd define this as a THINKING picture book. I think I've read The Rabbits before (not sure if I actually did or not), but the rest is a Shaun Tan first for me.

RED FLOWER

This book is split into three parts, or stories. The first, which is this section, is about a girl trying to find her place in a vast world. She feels that she doesn't fit in. I'm not sure if she's actually trying to fit into the worlds presented in the pictures, or that the pictures are just a metaphor. Anyways, the artwork is top-notch here, and presented in a minimalist sort of fashion. By the way, this might be my first in-depth review. I've got 19,000 characters to go.
I'm not sure about what the title (I read the entire book in half an hour, and my memory isn't photographic) really was, but, again, scale really is shown in Tan's first story. The girl isn't highlighted or whatever...she just stands out. She's somehow DIFFERENT. A scene I liked was near the end, when the girl goes back to her room. The door to the room emits light, but not enough to light up the entire room. The light fades to blackness about halfway in. In the middle of the light is a solitary, slightly-glowing red flower. That scene was perfect. It represented that, even though you've got nowhere to go, there's always somewhere. And eventually that somewhere will burst into a really big red flower. Yeah.

LOST AND FOUND

I feel that the second part slightly ties in with the first part- the theme of loneliness. This one has more text presented than the RED FLOWER, and, again, Tan somehow makes his average character stick out from among the crowd. The colours here are a bit more brighter than RED FLOWER's colours. I think it's because that, even though it's dealing with (about) the same theme, RED FLOWER's theme was presented in a in-your-face technique, while LOST AND FOUND presented it between the lines. The main character, although feeling pity for the Thing, actually wants to throw it away at one point. It's succint.
Anyways, this is just about a guy who finds a Thing that doesn't really fit in with his world. Long story short, he finds out that these Things are everywhere, but you can store them in some sort of warehouse thingy. And he feels that's where they belong. Not where they should belong, where they belong. The Thing is still lonely, but it's happy. It's among its own kind. YEAH.

THE RABBITS

The opening scene for THE RABBITS is beautiful. A night sky, sparkled with stars, above an endless sea. In the distance, a ship, a beacon of light among the void of black, sails towards a distant objective.
THE RABBITS has more of a darker tone than the rest of the stories. The pictures are grained, filled with thingmajigs (you'll see when you read the book). And at one point, there's actually blood! Woah!
Anyways, THE RABBITS depicts a foreign country of Rabbits colonizing a country, against the residents' (Raccons) wishes. Things start off well, but eventually the situation deterioates, and the two races fight for what is might for one, and what is home to another. And what is glory for both.
Eventually, the Raccons lose, and most of them die. The land is industrialized, trees are cut down, rivers are poisoned, and Rabbits grow rich.
It's about colonization. Guns vs. Sword, Steel vs. Wood...and, well, there's not much I can say here, it's a dark story. Very dark. And depressing. Well, last is best! YEAH!!!
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Sep 15, 2011 Leslie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics-graphic-novel, juvenile, young-adult, a-boy-s-shelf, author-of-another-country, chapter-book-8-11, most-all-ages-really, short-story-anthology

A Shaun Tan book is a joy for ever. Its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness. [L & Keats] Yes, I’ve a grand love for Shaun Tan’s work. His words and his artwork really resonate with me. When the daughter and I were at the library for the sole purpose of checking out audio-books for our road trip this weekend, I did the habitual quick scan of the “New Releases” Shelf in Juvenile. It is right by check-out. And really, I can’t not pick up a Shaun Tan book, if only to hold i...more

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Jul 19, 2011 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, challenge, comedy, fantasy, drama, mystery, science-fiction, poetry

Need a break from the same old chapter book...check out this feast for the eyes and ears. Yes, your English teacher is recommending a picture book. Finally, right? The book is three stories--allegories full of metaphor and mystery. Your likely response upon finishing will be, "Huh?" Each story has the coolest, wackiest visuals you've ever seen--illustrations full of minute details, collages, and a mix of printed word, figures, objects, scenes, and dark spaces. This is a book that gives up someth...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Marika rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lost and Found is one of the most beautiful books I've ever seen. The reproductions are incredible, I found myself stroking some of the pages as if I might feel the texture of the paint. Each page is a marvel, with spaces that would be "empty" in other books containing layers of texture or related print. Shaun Tan's Arrival astonished me, but I've always found it difficult to get a hold of his other books in the United States. Now, there is no excuse. I have spent hours pouring over this book, d...more

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Jun 27, 2011 Tony Keefer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookaday-summer-2011, picture-books, read-2011

I loved this rerelease of 3 stories by Shaun Tan. As usual the artwork is amazing and in some cases very haunting. All three stories deal with the place of people in a society.

The first story the Red Tree is a beautiful and somewhat disturbing tale of a girl who doesn't seem to fit in, but when she stops waiting for something perfect to happen she discovers good right in front of her eyes. There is a stunning 2 page spread of little illustrations that I studied for many minutes before turning t...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Brittany rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, graphic-novels

Within these pages you will find three stories. Some might make you sad, some might make you feel great. All are beautifully illustrated with sparse words that capture intense emotions. Allow yourself to be swept into very different worlds for a few moments. The front flap tells, in brief what each story is about.
"A girl finds a bright spot
in a dark world.

A boy leads a strange,
lost creature home.

And a group of peaceful
creatures cedes their home to hostile invaders."

I really love Shaun Tan's a...more

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Apr 27, 2011 T.L. Cooper rated it 3 of 5 stars

Lost & Found: Three by Shaun Tan contains three stories: The Red Tree, The Lost Thing, and The Rabbits (John Marsden). The illustrations throughout the book are a bit dark but beautifully done.

The Red Tree follows the story of a bad day leading to a discovery. This simply but beautifully worded story would be an excellent way to help a child understand a family or friend suffering from depression. Or even to help a child understand that every bad day passes. It demonstrates the need for hop...more

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Apr 25, 2011 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

"I see that sort of thing less and less these days though. Maybe there aren't many lost things anymore. Or maybe I've just stopped noticing them. Too busy doing other stuff, I guess." - Shaun Tan, The Lost Thing

Have you lost hope that better things are ahead?

Have you lost your sense of wonder at the world around you?

Have you lost the peace that comes with having a home of your own?

Shaun Tan's Lost and Found is vivid reminder that nothing is ever lost, only waiting for us to look with different e...more

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Apr 09, 2011 Karin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel, whimsical, quirky, made-me-cry, dark-forces, depression, imperialism, ecology, adult-ya-crossovers, adult-fiction, young-adult-fiction, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Shaun Tan is an amazing artist. His graphic novels/picture stories are full of delightful weirdness, whimsy, and depth. I marvel at the artwork, but he also makes me think about things, and I like that, too. His story, The Lost Thing, was made into a short animated film, which won an academy award earlier this year. It also appears in a collection called Lost & Found (as well as on its own). We just got the collection here at the library. There are two other stories in it – both of which als...more Shaun Tan is an amazing artist. His graphic novels/picture stories are full of delightful weirdness, whimsy, and depth. I marvel at the artwork, but he also makes me think about things, and I like that, too. His story, The Lost Thing, was made into a short animated film, which won an academy award earlier this year. It also appears in a collection called Lost & Found (as well as on its own). We just got the collection here at the library. There are two other stories in it – both of which also touched me deeply.

The first, The Red Tree, is about thoughts and days and lives that press you down. And the second, Rabbits, is about imperialism and the destruction of our cultures, communities, and worlds. Dark topics. Rabbits made me cry (the story, Rabbits, is by John Marsden – illustrations are Shaun Tan’s).

Reading this collection is an experience, but it’s also interesting to hear what Shaun Tan has to say about the stories and what he was thinking/going through while he imagined/created them. For instance:

“The Rabbits is a story of universes colliding: one culture driven by powerful technology that transcends nature (much like our own), and another whose spirit is embedded in an ancient ecology. The conflict between the two is, I think, a central concern of our age…Aside from historical issues of race or politics, The Rabbits is about a deep environmental crisis, a crisis of conscience, and a costly failure of communication…”

Also:

“The Lost Thing draws on some similar ideas about passive intolerance…It expresses a number of concerns I had as an adolescent, and continue to have as an adult: questions of how an individual belongs to a society, balancing freedom and responsibility, finding work without relinquishing artistic pursuits of a playful imagination, and trying to stay interested and open-minded. Suffusing this is an anxiety that somehow finds apt expression in the phrase “the lost thing”: a vague sense of forgetting something important, losing the sinpirations of childhood, or being worn down by the pressure of adult pragmatism and cynicism.”

Speaks to me. How about you?
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Apr 05, 2011 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

First of all, I'm not exactly sure how to go about classifying this book. It isn't a graphic novel as it contains three short illustrated stories/fables. It isn't a picture book (in the traditional sense) for young children. I suppose that it is a graphic picture book meant for older children and adults. It is one of those books that you need to see to fully understand, which is why you should look through the book to get a feel for its art and tone.

Perhaps the best way to review the book is to...more First of all, I'm not exactly sure how to go about classifying this book. It isn't a graphic novel as it contains three short illustrated stories/fables. It isn't a picture book (in the traditional sense) for young children. I suppose that it is a graphic picture book meant for older children and adults. It is one of those books that you need to see to fully understand, which is why you should look through the book to get a feel for its art and tone.

Perhaps the best way to review the book is to talk about the three different stories.

THE RED TREE is the first story in the book and was probably my favorite. I'd describe it as "a depressed person's version of Dr. Suess's Oh The Places You'll Go." The story starts with a little red-haired girl who wakes up to these lines: "sometimes the day begins with nothing to look forward to." Like the more upbeat Dr. Suess book, the girl ventures forth into the world, which is populated by fantastical and oftentimes dark images and words that do little to lift your spirits ("the world is a deaf machine/without sense or reason"). Like the Dr. Suess book, she even comes to a waiting place. I was glad that the story ends with a sense of hope, as I was quite worried about where Tan was going to take this things. Still, some of the images lingered with me afterward, and I found myself returning to it for another look.

THE LOST THING is a bit more fanciful. A young boy (who reminded me of a Gary Larson cartoon) finds a lost thing that defies classification--it kind of looks like a big red teapot with legs. The boy decides to help the lost thing find its place in the world after realizing he cannot keep it at home. After traveling around the city, the boy and the lost thing eventually find what they are looking for and part ways--with the boy ending up losing quite a bit more than he anticipated in the process. The end of the story reminded me somewhat of The Little Prince (when you become a grown-up and stop seeing a boa constrictor inside of an elephant and instead start seeing a hat). The illustrations were more complex in this story--with the drawings placed on top of text and engineering diagrams. I kept looking for hidden meanings and "clues" in the backgrounds of the picture--as well as in the repeated images of smoke clouds that I were sure meant something if I could only figure it out.

THE RABBITS is a story written by John Marsden. Departing a bit in tone (due to the story being written by another writer) and look (I thought Tan's art was strikingly different in this story with the use of brighter colors), The Rabbits tells the oft-told story of white people invading a land and displacing the native people, except Marsden and Tan substitute rabbits for humans (although Tan's illustrations of the rabbits make it clear what they represent). As you might expect, the rabbits destroy the land, the native animals and pollute everything in sight. The story isn't subtle and even younger children will probably be able to make the leap that the "rabbits" represent "humans."

In the end, I'm not quite sure what to make of this book or who would be the target audience. I suppose that the book might appeal to older children who have an artistic streak and a conscience. In addition, the book might appeal to adults who are interested in Shaun Tan's art or who want to impart some deeper messages to their children. In the end, I didn't fall in love with this book, but I do see its merits. However, I confess to feeling like I was missing something (nuances? deeper meanings?) in the illustrations. Like all complicated picture books, this one probably deserves a slow, lingering read and several revisits. For me personally, I just didn't gravitate to Tan's style, which was more muted and depressive than I prefer. However, I'm sure this book has an appeal to fans of Tan's work and readers who like their "picture" books with more gravitas to them. (less)

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Apr 02, 2011 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: challenge-2011

The cover is what first drew me to this book. And when I opened it up I was not disappointed. Throughout there are many beautiful, full-page pictures that work together with the words to tell a richly-detailed story.

The first story is "The Red Tree" and is a dark, gritty, somewhat depressing story of a girl having a very bad day. The pictures here had me mesmerized. I think what I really enjoyed about this story is that it shows that bad things don't last, and there's a great need for hope.

Nex...more

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Mar 27, 2011 Karissa rated it 5 of 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...more 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 book. I can't wait to see what Tan comes up with next.(less)

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Mar 23, 2011 Bryce Holt rated it 3 of 5 stars

The visuals of Shaun Tan's "Lost and Found" are stellar, which should come as no surprise since it was done by one of the best illustrators alive. That said, the storytelling...especially the endings to the two that Tan actually wrote ("The Red Tree" and "The Lost Thing")...were surprisingly weak. I thought "The Red Tree" was graphically profound, and though I admit that the story wouldn't have made sense without the words (as his epic work "The Arrival" manages to do), it was so close to being...more

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Mar 09, 2011 Sarah BT rated it 4 of 5 stars

The three stories collected here are a perfect example of Shaun Tan's creative (and sometimes a bit odd) artwork and storytelling style. The obscure creatures and world that Shaun Tan's characters live in is like a darker Dr. Seuss. The drawings are intricit and even though the text itself is easy to breeze through, you want to spend your time taking in the details on each page.

The first story, The Red Tree, almost reads like an inspirational story, ala The Blue Day Book. While this might be a...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Patty rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, fantasy, fiction, contemporary-fiction, graphic-novel, illustratred, depression, hope, short-stories, juvenile-fiction, ya-fiction, young-adult, immigration, australia, speculative-fiction

I think I have fallen in love with Shaun Tan. Well, if not Tan himself, then the way he looks at the world. Once I had read The Arrival, then I had to find Tan's other books. I picked up Lost and Found and read the first story, "The Red Tree". This was so poignant and powerful that I put the book down for several weeks. I wanted to have some time to think about that story before moving on.

The other two tales are also powerful. Tan's The Arrival was wordless and so I was not sure how I would feel...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Jerissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shaun Tan is a stunning artist, and this short collection of remarkable stories is far from an exception. In The Red Tree, a young girl with fiery red hair bears the weight of sadness and despair on her slouched shoulders. The world around her is mechanical, industrial, and uninviting, and she doesn't understand her place in it. Tan beautifully, hauntingly externalizes her inner turmoil in the illustrations. Black leaves flood her bedroom in the morning, a depressed monster--mouth agape, tar tea...more

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Feb 23, 2012 David rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-notables, graphic-novels, picturebooks

Lost and Found by Shaun Tan is an anthology of three Shaun Tan books with some added art and author notes. "The Red Tree," follows a girl's struggle with depression. "The Lost Thing," shows a boy trying to find a place for a huge, lost robot-like creature. "The Rabbits," tells of rabbits who arrive by sea into the land of another animal group, cause sickness, overpopulate the land, and eventually destroy the planet.

The text is a wide variety of fonts. The collection consists of The Red Tree (200...more

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Apr 16, 2011 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tan has once again amazed me with his artistry. How one person can create such gorgeous artwork is difficult for me to comprehend. Each page is intricately illustrated and shows incredible depth of emotion. Though the paper is flat the images are undeniably three dimensional. To that end, it should surprise no one that Tan won an Oscar for his work on a film based on The Lost Thing.

Conveying a true sense of loneliness The Red Tree follows a young girl as she works through overwhelming negativity...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Krista the Krazy Kataloguer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-childrens-books, read-graphic-novels

Lost and Found collects into one book three of Tan's previous children's picture books: The Red Tree, The Lost Thing, and The Rabbits. Overall, I found the book dark and depressing, a real downer. The first story, The Red Tree, is about a sad little girl who feels alone and alienated and friendless and bored. I was ready to slit my throat until I got to the last 2 pages, in which hope returns. The Lost Thing is about a boy who finds a...thing (looks like a giant red teapot with tentacles) that s...more

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About Shaun Tan

Shaun Tan (born 1974) is the illustrator and author of award-winning children's books. After freelancing for some years from a studio at Mt. Lawley, Tan relocated to Melbourne, Victoria in 2007. Tan was the Illustrator in Residence at the University of Melbourne's Department of Language Literacy and Arts Education for two weeks through an annual Fellowship offered by the May Gibbs Children’s Liter...more

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