The drawings are beautiful,and the technique that Brian Selznick has developed in his books – mixing drawn sequences ( which are almost like movie storyboards) in with written segments – is a brilliant and original conceit. The story revolves around a family and their association with The New York Natural History Museum and consequently there are a various 'tallismen' objects that lead our orphaned hero to discover the truth about his past. It is written as a kind of children's mystery story and I think Kids would love it. Personally, I didn't think the actual story was as original as 'The Inventions of Hugo Cabret.' I like the idea of the two different stories that join up together, but it meant there were a few too many coincidence elements than in that other book.