The Red Tree Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Red Tree
Book Review: Wonderful
Summary: 5 Stars
Eveyone that loves illustrated books must own this book. It is spectacular! Wonderfully imaginative and beautifully rendered. Shaun Tan's style is unique and fantastically entertaining. To put it simply, if you're ready for something new and you love art, buy this book.Book Review: excellent picture book (the text blows!)
Summary: 3 Stars
The Red Tree by Shaun Tan is an award winning fictional picture book that captures a hidden story in its spectacular illustrations that have been drawn by the author himself.
This book revolves mainly around the theme of hope. The storyline solely concerns a young adolescent girl who is going through a stage of depression in her life. The cause is uncertain, but her feelings are artfully displayed through the images in the book. As the story progresses the glimmer of hope held by the little girl then blossoms to reveal to the reader a large tree of hope representing the girl's pathway out of her currently depressed state.
I believe that this book is one that immensely provokes the imagination particularly because it allows the reader to interpret the story in the form of how they perceive the pictures collected with the words. The storyline is not very explanatory. I found that in this book the pictures tell the story about the girl more than the words do as they portray what she is feeling through colour, lines, angles and the size of the different images on a certain page.
This book also addresses the matter of depression. Hope is finally founded at the end of the story as a result of the of the girl's depression. The story mainly shows the apt side of depression as it is a children's picture book. It shows how through times of hardship or grief there is always hope. It does not show however the causes of depression or the adversity in life. it does not mention also that sometimes the challenging and demanding struggles in life cannot be escaped as they were by the girl in the story during the final pages of the book.
I feel that this book taught me that anyone can go through hard times, no matter what age or gender, and those troubles can be a great hassle and effect a person greatly. It also strengthened my faith in hope. It helped me to realize that of all of the difficulties I have been through in life, many have ended positively because of hope. It has also helped me to sympathize with all those struggling in their lives. This book has led me to realize how lucky I am to be living a full and satisfying life.
Overall I do believe that this book is a great picture book but also a great source for analysis. It gives the reader a chance to incorporate their feelings into the storyline making them relate more to the character. This makes the book more favorable as its meaning can b adjusted to the liking of each reader. It also shows how life is a grand battle with hope as an effective and valuable weapon.
I would recommend this book to students aged ten and over as it is one that addresses important and common, though difficult topics that would probably not be suitable for younger children. It is also a book that requires much interpretation to fully appreciate the storyline which would probably only be achieved by older, more mature students.
Book Review: moving colour and meaning
Summary: 4 Stars
The red tree by Shaun tan is a picture book. Although it does display the traditional picture book format, the themes and issues that can be drawn from it are quite mature. The book explores human emotions and the highs and lows that humans experience form a day to day basis.
The plot follows a young girl in her daily routine of life. We see her wake in the morning and are shown the emotional changes which she endures during the day when put in various situations. He young girl is nameless and quite mysterious to the reader which adds to the sense of her isolation. She is pictured in many compromising situations, which adds to the empathy
The book is very thought provoking. When we first read the book and look at the illustrations we are overwhelmed by the severity and contrast of the illustrations and the depth of the short text. The text is very vague and left open to interpretation by the reader. Lines such as "the world is a deaf machine without sense or reason" could mean many things, depending on the reader. It could be taken by the reader that the girl feels unheard or that she feel unnoticed or abandoned by the world. This is the case for many of the other illustrations and text. The illustrations are quite abstract and suddenly grab the attention of the reader, rater than the text in many cases. An example of this is on the fourth double page spread where the girl is pictured on a rocky shore in a glass bottle with and old fashioned diving helmet. This picture as well as many others in the book are quite expressionist and rather portray emotion than aesthetics.
I agree with many of the author's opinions in the book. I agree with the way he portrays most of themes and issues through the book. An example of this is how the author portrays the theme of depression. I gather, from the book, that the author perceives depression as a disease that can potentially affect everyone. Depression isn't a disease just for the old and weak but also for the strong and young. I gather that the author that hope and happiness can be achieved in all situations, no matter how big the obstacles are. We see that the girl is but in many compromising situations but in the end achives contentment and happiness.
The book fails to express the origin of the characters sadness. If the girl is in fact depressed the author fails to express the causes for her condition and the consequences that can arise from depression.
Overall I think that the book The Red Tree by Shaun tan raises many thought provoking issues. I think that the illustrations offer many metaphors and let the reader interpret the book and make it their own. The Red Tree will mean something different to everyone. The question is will you take enough time to figure it out. I would say that the book is, in its traditional format for 6- 10 year olds, but in its contemporary and expressionist context for people for 13 up.
Book Review: my child is seven; she was delighted and moved
Summary: 5 Stars
Whoever gave the one star below woefully underestimated the depth and insight of our miracle children. A friend gave the book to me as a gift; it immediately became my favorite. I ordered three more for gifts. Everyone comments on the sunny disposition of my happy daughter, but she is a deep thinker and is affected by world events and the inherent stress of today's childhood. Children can also sense the pain and stress their parents sometimes experience, no matter how carefully we may try to shield them. Phoebe said she could relate to the pictures in the book. It was she who pointed out to me that a red leaf is on every sad page. At the end she said, with a trimphant smile, "See? It was there all along, waiting to be a tree, but she couldn't see it!"
The book could not be more beautiful or more important. Do not hesitate to explore it with your children. Especially after 9/11, but even independent of that, they need to know their sometimes depressed feelings are not abnormal and there is a way to express them, and a reason to hope.
The Red Tree could also help to alleviate the stress they may feel in perceiving parental distress, by illustrating that no condition is hopeless.
In the unlikely child with a perpetually happy state of mind, there is no reason to shield them from understanding the feelings of others, and Tan makes this possible for even young readers, through engrossingly vivid, but not gruesome or frightening, images. It awakens compassion, empathy and strength. It is nothing short of a masterpeice.
Here is Phoebe:
"I thought it was perfectly fine. I loved the pictures!"
Book Review: the red tree
Summary: 5 Stars
my entire purchase was great.
i received my book on time and it was in fabulous shape.
thank you!