Lost Thing

by Shaun Tan

Book Overview

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0734411383
• ISBN13: 9780734411389
• Release Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Lothian Children's Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.

Customer Reviews

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.

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.

Simply wonderful

It is difficult to classify this superb book. It is classified as a children's book, but it will have appeal to all ages. To a certain extent it reminds me of the great works of art by Graeme Base and John Sceszka and Lane Smith, but again it is different. The imagies are almost surreal - certainly reminiscent of Dali on an odd day. A simple tale, without a moral? Perhaps so, perhaps not - I like to think it is a comment on all we have lost, and found, and let go again. The illustrations are magnificent, quirky and engaging, and you notice different things with each reading (or viewing?). Our hero is a simple soul, the lost thing also simple and yet remarkably complex. My favourite part is where our hero gives it something to eat once he has discovered what it likes, and the food he is offering it is christmas decorations! It is an absolutely delightful book. Share it with your children, or your partner, or your best friend. Or keep it for yourself. It isn't a book that is easy to classify, but it is definitely a keeper. I recommend it highly.

The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan

In today's world, we are bombarded everyday with advertisement and hyperbole to get us to buy products and services. As a result of all this exaggeration, it is extremely difficult to find something that actually lives up to all it's credits. However, "The Lost Thing" was one of these uncommon books.It is advertised as a kid's book, and yet, I think that it would be much more enjoyable for an older audience. We have already seen, from Shaun T's "The Red Tree" that the author has incredible artistic talent, especially in painting. In this book, he uses this talent to an amazing degree to create a story and a world unique to the story. The urban setting of Suburbia is filled with details -which are essential for a good story, novel or picture-book. From the everyday people to the shop windows, Suburbia is a richly imagined world where people seem to have reached their peak - identical, sophisticated in technology but simple in emotion. They have created an ordered, mechanical world, but one day a boy finds a thing on the beach, unlike anything else in the world. He strives to find it a place to live, and in doing so travels through the nooks and crannies of Suburbia until he finds a place for the thing. One of the reasons why I was at first apprehensive about buying this book was because, quite simply, it was a picture book. I could finish it in no time at all - was it really worth my money? Well, as a matter of fact, I reread it about twice a week for the next half-year. I've probably got just as much time and enjoyment peering at all the details than from any novel. Whenever feeling depressed, tired or upset, I could always pull my head under this blanket of a book and disappear for a few minutes, emerging later with a warm feeling in my heart. And I've noticed that all the reviews for this book so far, including mine - are Australian! I would take any opportunity I could to reveal this book to a wider, more global community - because in terms of artwork, plot and imagination, it is very difficult to compare. It is about time Shaun Tan got real recognition from the world. He has prodigious talent.