The Red Tree Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Red Tree
Book Review: Shaun Tan's Red Tree powerful
Summary: 5 Stars
The Red Tree has become a powerful symbol in our family for hope and strong positive feelings. We've been to the Out of the Box festival in Brisbane, Queensland where the play of the book premiered, and it is true to the story and concepts Shaun Tan was painting. His detailed imagery provides hours of enjoyment for young readers and old to explore their feelings, their reactions. His illustrations cater to the thinking child who doesn't need everything handed to them on a plate in primary colours. We look forward to more from Shaun Tan.Book Review: Shaun Tan's compelling masterpiece about the power of hope,
Summary: 3 Stars
Title: The Red Tree
Author: Shaun Tan
Type: fiction/non-fiction
Publisher: Lothian, November 2002
The Red Tree is a masterpiece that uses vibrant colored pictures of intense meaning to take readers on an emotional journey with the red haired girl who appears throughout the book. As the main character she is depicted wandering through numerous imaginary and dreamlike, landscape portraying hopelessness and isolation.
A small child awakes to discover blackness leaves falling from her bedroom ceiling, threatening to silently engulf her. As she wanders around a world that is intricate and puzzling she is overtaken by numerous feelings. The girl is overwhelmed by feelings of despair and sadness. The minimal text on each page conveys feelings and thoughts that accompany childhood depression. The simple and poetic text also communicates complicated themes such as the search for identity, escape from a confined space and lack of control of one's feelings.
When the girl returns to her bedroom at the end of the day, the red leaf is on the floor quietly waiting for her. When readers turn the page, the red leaf has blossomed into a red tree that is full of light and hope. The girl smiles and readers are reminded of the power of hope. Everything seemed hopeless until the child returns to her room to see the red tree. At that moment the child smiles and the beauty and purity of infancy is radiated.
The red leaf in each of Shaun Tan's visual works of art is symbolic as it represents hope, even in the darkest moments of despair and loneliness. The elaborate detail in Tan's illustrations is fascinating and demands close analysis and multiple viewings as much of the artwork in the book summarizes delicate imagery. Tan also uses colour to convey meaning in the final pages, as the red is the predominating colour symbolizing prosperity and happiness.
The book puts forward the idea that childhood depression is an illness that is never without hope. It shows that hope is always there, just like the tiny red leaf that is present throughout the book, even though the girl is oblivious to the glimmer of promise in the shape of a tiny red leaf in the end she finds it. Although the book is quite detailed it leaves out both the causes of the characters state and the influences that are encouraging this constant behaviour of isolation and sadness.
The author of the book The Red Tree puts forward his opinions on childhood depression and the feelings that are accompanied with it as well as the fact that hope is always there. I totally agree with Tan's opinions because I think that they are truly precise and realistic. I believe that hope is always present; we just need to recognize it for it to blossom.
The Red Tree is a fascinating and sophisticated picture book about a sensitive issue that is often ignored in children's literature. The picture book is one that is very interesting and memorable as it stays with people ceaselessly. The Red Tree is a book that I highly recommend for adults. Feelings too complex for words are rendered into an imaginary landscape where the child wanders. It is a compelling story about the power of hope, renewal and inspiration.
Book Review: Tan has created an absolute masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
The book `The Red Tree' by Shaun Tan is a fascinating picture book that takes an interesting approach towards the issue of depression, and also the issue of hope.
This amazingly, detailed book enables the reader to delve into the thoughts of a young girl's mind as she awakens one day to find dark leaves falling in her bedroom, the reader then follows the girl as she wanders an overwhelming world full of puzzling, alienating, and often difficult situations the girl is involved in, the young girl then returns home feeling all hope is lost to find a tiny red seedling that is emitting a red warmth that enlightens her soul. Throughout the book the young girl is accompanied by a small red leaf, that only the reader can see, this leaf reveals to us that the young girl, even though she feels alienated, is not alone and there is hope if she just seeks it. . This book is remarkable in a way that it expresses feelings that can only be shown through pictures, the series of imaginary landscapes and places in the book defiantly achieve these emotions, and it is evident that the marvelous and craftiness mind of Shaun Tan was responsible for these miraculous images.
The pictures that Shaun Tan publishes in this book are achieved by using gouache, oil, watercolors and through collages as well. The pictures are not only done with the smallest detail but are painted with emotive colours to bring out the feelings the young girl is experiencing. Every page has yet another imaginary, dreamlike landscape that convey a message that is revealed through the minimal text on the double spread page, these texts convey feelings of, misery, hopelessness and most important of all depression, in which Shaun Tan takes a daring approach towards seeing as though it is a sensitive issue, that isn't explored very much in children's literature.
This book is the best I have read, the pictures were spectacular, the text carefully written in a short but memorable way, however it does only appeal to certain people, but if you are looking for a book that isn't afraid to introduce a topic not so often raised, and also has magnificent pictures that convey emotions in the most unique way, then this is defiantly for you, you will not be disappointed. This book receives two thumbs up from me; if you do have the privilege to read it you will see why it did win best picture book of the year in 2002. The Red Tree reminds all of us that even though we may suffer negative feelings, there is always hope at the end of the long journey, and it will always accompany us in the darkest of times.
Book Review: The red tree
Summary: 1 Stars
First I would like to say 'read' is a bit too strong a word for what amount's to a picture book with a sentence on each page.So having looked at this book a few times, (more than once because I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing) I have to say that I was shocked at it's thoroughly depressing content.
It might work for an already mentally disturbed child in a 'light at the end of tunnel' kind of way. But what on earth a regular happy-go-lucky kid would experience from looking at this book is beyond me, apart from nightmares that is.
When a child is shown this book the first question is going
to be what is depression? Depression being a concept that should be as unfamiliar to children as tax returns or hangovers. So I cannot understand why anyone would consider this a book to 'entertain' children.
Book Review: This book is far too dark for a 3 year old
Summary: 1 Stars
I think this book is more appropriate for a troubled teenager, than a 3 - 8 year old. I found the pictures extremely depressing and gloomy, and the story way beyond what most 3 year olds would be able to grasp. Originally I bought this book as I was given tickets to see the production of "The Red Tree" at the Out of the Box Early Childhood Festival in Brisbane (Australia). I wanted to read it to my son before we went to the show but I ended up wondering why I had wasted my money. I have since come to realise that Shaun Tan's style is very individual - the type you either love or hate. Children have to grow up fast enough as it is without exposing them to such a depressing book. After we saw the live production of the Red Tree, my son walked around the house with his head hung down in the manner of the little girl from the book. His four year old mind had no hope of grasping the complexities in this story.