wonderful, imaginative and spiritual book-really resonates

The Lost Thing is an illustrated book for young readers by award-winning Australian illustrator and author, Shaun Tan. The story is being told, according to the post card from Suburbia on the back cover, to the reader by Shaun. In it, a younger Shaun, idling around by the beach, spots The Lost Thing. At least, it seems lost to him. It’s quite big, but when he interacts with it, it seems friendly, and he tries to find out to whom it might belong. Unsuccessful, he eventually takes it with him. His friend Pete gives some sage counsel, and Shaun takes this large, red, part-metal, part-creature, home.

When his parents notice it, Shaun’s mother reacts like most do: “Its feet are filthy!” she shrieks. His father is equally negative: it has to go. The Lost Thing is hidden in the shed, but Shaun knows that’s not a permanent solution, so he tries his best to do the right thing. He encounters bureaucratic indifference in the city (Downtown, 6328th Street, Tall Grey Building 357b) but also helpful advice, and hopes he has ultimately helped The Lost Thing to a good destination.

Tan’s exquisitely composed colour illustrations are presented on a background of what appears to be heavily foxed pages of technical notes and drawings from a textbook. In keeping with this, the back cover has a (rather self-deprecating) sticker that includes “INSPECTOR’S COMMENTS: No perceptible threat to the order of day to day existence. Inconsequential. Safe for public consumption”. Damned by faint praise… The departmental stamps with their logos and Latin mottos are smart and funny.

There is so much detail in the illustration that each page, even the endpapers and the front and back cover, bears minute examination. Young eyes will be fine, but older readers supervising (or reading for themselves: Tan’s books should not be reserved for young readers!) may appreciate a little magnification. It’s really worth doing this because the text tells you that the young man has a bottle-top collection, but just how serious he is about that is only revealed when you read the title of the fat red book he is carrying around. Clever and insightful, but also heart-warming: Shaun Tan is so talented!!