Children’s picture book about a sibling relationship in the summer
I am a huge fan of this artist and haven’t reviewed nearly as many of his books on this blog as I would like purely because I read many of them before I started it. This was an incredible find at the Lifeline Bookfair and it caught the eye of my toddler as well.
“Rules of Summer” by Shaun Tan is a children’s picture book about two brothers in surreal urban summer scenes. The story appears to be narrated by the younger brother who, reflecting on the consequences of each unusual circumstance, distills it into a ‘rule’ that should be followed. As the book progresses, the younger brother’s transgressions cause more and more tension until the relationship ruptures. Can it be saved before the last day of summer?
This is such a creative masterpiece, I barely know what to say about it. Tan’s exquisite oil paintings capture both the expansiveness of long summer days and the intricate, colourful detail of children’s make believe games. The text is deceptively simple, both complementing the illustrations and prompting readers to consider the emotional context behind them more deeply. In Tan’s frequent style, the illustrations engage heavily with urban and suburban Australian landscapes, and I especially love the iconic, high contrast Australian scenery of yellow grass against dark grey sky reminiscent of Jeffrey Smart but uniquely Tan.
The true critic of this book however is my toddler who absolutely loves it. I would have thought that thematically (and potentially stylistically) it would be a bit young for a two year old but she often requests it and is utterly engrossed in it the entire time we read it together. I think the combination of clear, unadorned text and captivating scenes is the perfect mix for a young reader and I can’t wait to read more of Tan’s work with her. We recently watched “Tales from Outer Suburbia” on ABC iView together and again, despite some early concerns it might be too mature for her, she absolutely loved it.
A fantastic book suitable for all ages but especially good for kids about to start a long summer holiday.
