Tales from outer suburbia

92 pages

English language

Published Nov. 10, 2008 by Allen & Unwin.

ISBN:
978-1-74114-917-3
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OCLC Number:
230921831

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5 stars (2 reviews)

From the much-acclaimed creator of The Arrival, The Red Tree and The Lost Thing, fifteen intriguing illustrated stories about the mysteries that lurk below the surface of suburban life.Do you remember the water buffalo at the end of our street?Or the deep-sea diver we found near the underpass?Do you know why dogs bark in the middle of the night?Shaun Tan, creator of The Arrival, The Lost Thing and The Red Tree, reveals the quiet mysteries of everyday life: homemade pets, dangerous weddings, stranded sea mammals, tiny exchange students and secret rooms filled with darkness and delight.

4 editions

Review of 'Tales from Outer Suburbia' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This was much better than I was expecting. Should I ever have children, this is one of the books I will read with them. It has an open ended air that cultivates a worship of the mischievous, infinitely varied world we live in. The closest genre I can compare it to is Lovecraft's works of cosmic horror, where reality seems a thin veil for the fantastic and unimaginable. It deals with real psychological themes of abandonment, love in many forms, and the choices we make without thinking.

Here lies no horror or demons, so maybe we'll call Tan's work a volume in cosmic joy.

Subjects

  • Children's stories, Australian
  • Suburban life -- Australia -- Juvenile fiction
  • Australia -- Juvenile fiction