Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan

Who's ready for some fun? Have I got the book for you:

Talking water buffalo? Check.

A tiny visitor who lives in your pantry? Check.

Backyards filled with brightly colored missiles painted like lawn furniture? Check.

If you ever want to take a break from reality and float among the clouds, imagining the impossible and enjoying the view, Shaun Tan's Tales from Outer Suburbia is the book for you. A collection of short stories that are set in the suburbs of an Australian town, these delightful snapshots start anchored in reality but quickly veer off into the fanciful – and delightfully so. From tales of sea creatures appearing in landlocked front lawns to magical reindeer to secret rooms to deep-sea divers, this collection is both weird and wonderful.

The author's choice to set each of these short stories in his native Australian suburbs works beautifully – the juxtaposition of the ordinary with the fantastical allows the more impossible elements to really shine. While there is no continuity or relationship between stories, each has its own message hidden within: the importance of treating animals kindly, learning to find the good in whatever situation life gives you, or that relationships are more about hard work than finding “the one.” School Library Journal agrees: “Tan works his magic with a few well-chosen words and a vibrant and expansive artistic vision, inviting readers to observe and explore familiar landscapes and look for untold stories beyond the obvious” (Davey 2009).

While the writing is clear and precise, Tales from Outer Suburbia really shines in its illustrations. Horn Book Magazine even goes so far as to say “the real story here is the pictures. Some display the somber polish of the Arrival vignettes, others are full-color, full-page fantasies; each one has more than enough power to seduce the browser into looking closely into its mysteries” (Horn Book Magazine 2009). The author/illustrator adjusts both his style and his choice of media to fit each short story, with illustrations ranging from highly detailed, graphite drawings to oil paintings with a more abstract feel. In some stories, the illustrations do almost all of the storytelling, with several stories that have 4-page spreads of wordless illustrations that tell the tale through art. The juxtaposition of reality and fantasy is particularly apparent in the artwork. For example, the title page shows a woman in a rowboat, rowing down an otherwise ordinary suburban street (without any water, I might add).

When sharing this story with children, the author's website (http://www.shauntan.net/about.html) has wonderful descriptions of the backstory and inspiration behind each tale in the collection, told by the author himself. A good companion piece to this book is another of Shaun Tan's works, The Arrival. This book without words is a migrant story that won the 2008 ALA Notable Books for Children, 2008 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Winner, and the 2008 ALA Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

Though somewhat disjointed, the sheer beauty of the illustrations and strange wonderfulness of the stories makes Tales from Outer Suburbia a welcome opportunity to suspend reality and enjoy asking “What if...?” I give this short story collection two paws up!

Wags & Woofs,

Charlie Brown

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References

Davey, Douglas D. “Tales from Outer Suburbia.” School Library Journal 55 (2009).

“Tales from Outer Suburbia.” Horn Book Magazine 85, no. 2: 205-206.

Tan, Shaun. 2009. Tales from Outer Suburbia. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books.

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

When I heard the title of our next book to review – Bone Gap – I got quite excited. After all, dogs love bones! However, this story has more to it than bones (which, I was sad to discover, is just the name of the town where the story takes place.) I listened to the audiobook of Bone Gap by Laura Ruby, and I was riveted to my seat every second of the story.

The story starts in the middle of a stressful scenario: teenaged Finn and his older brother and guardian Sean have just lost Roza, the beautiful, kindhearted young woman who seems to have flitted out of their lives just as quickly and mysteriously as she entered them. While the town is sure she has simply moved on to the next town, Finn is certain she was abducted – though his inability to describe the perpetrator leaves his brother frustrated and angry. While the tension between the two brothers mounts, the reader learns that Roza has, in fact, been kidnapped, and her captor keeps her locked away in a series of magical prisons, locking her away unless she agrees to marry him. Fortunately, Finn does manage to rescue Roza, and the story ends in a satisfying way. With a story that is part contemporary fiction, part fantasy, part fairy tale, there's no wonder Bone Gap won the American Library Association's 2016 Michael L. Printz Award for its contribution to young adult literature.

Ruby combines ordinary reality and magic so subtly that I wasn't sure if the story was realistic fiction or fantasy until about halfway through the book. While this may frustrate some readers, it adds an element of mystery and forces the reader to think critically about the storyline: did the horse show up magically or was she a gift from a neighbor who doesn't want the credit? Is Roza imprisoned in an enchanted house, or just a creepy house? And why does Finn see reality so differently from the rest of the residents – does he have special powers? Most of these questions are answered by the end of the book, giving the reader some resolution, but these elements of magical realism give the story a feeling of being between two worlds. Horn Book Magazine explains it well: “Kidnapped young women are not a new trope in YA fiction, but such books often read like mysteries or thrillers, while this one reads more like a fable, with the matter-of-fact inclusion of magical realism. Finn does find Roza, he does fall in love with Petey, and everybody—for the most part—does live happily ever after, but afterward the reader is left to ponder the strange events, quirky characters, and resonant themes” (Hunt 2015).

I was quite taken by the characters in this story. Ruby colors each of her characters by showing them going about their days within the small town, rather than merely telling the reader about them. Whether it's the crotchety old man next door who has a deep love for his chickens or the fiery love interest who rolls her eyes at her mother, Ruby's characters are simultaneously lovable and deeply human. They are the perfect complement to the small-town setting, in which everyone knows everyone else's business, yet people come and go “through the cracks” of the town. 

One feature that I appreciated about this book is that the author doesn't shy away from heavy subjects. Several men sexually assault the female protagonists (both Roza and Petey at different times in the story), and Roza is kidnapped. Including such sensitive topics in young adult literature offers opportunities for discussion, and the magical element in the story “softens the blow” of how real sexual assault is for many readers. Booklist explains how Laura Ruby “...imbues all of it with captivating, snowballing magic realism, which has the dual effect of making the hard parts of the story more palatable to read while subtly emphasizing how purely wicked and dehumanizing assault can be...Even then, after she reveals many secrets, magic still seems to linger in the real parts of Bone Gap, and the magical elements retain their frightening reality. Wonder, beauty, imperfection, cruelty, love, and pain are all inextricably linked but bewitchingly so” (Hunter 2015).

While the unabridged audiobook version of the book was done quite well, a few features of this recording made it harder to follow the story. Although there are multiple characters of different ages, genders, and backgrounds, the audiobook has only one voice actor. While he makes some minor attempts to differentiate the voices of each character, it was often difficult to distinguish which characters were talking, especially with dialogue between more than two people. One of the unique aspects of the book is that each chapter is told from a different character's perspective, which is listed with the title at the beginning of each chapter. When listening to the audiobook read aloud, it is easy to miss which character's point-of-view is being used, which can lead to confusion, especially early in the story. This story lacks any interlude between chapters; a short snippet of music would have provided some needed breaks in the story.

While the murkiness of the line between reality and fantasy my be off-putting to some readers, there is no denying the beauty of Ruby's writing or the depth of her characters. For readers who enjoy questioning what is real and what isn't, this novel will be a delight.

Wags and Woofs,

Charlie Brown

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References

Hunt, Jonathan. 2015. “Bone Gap.” Horn Book Magazine 91, no. 5: 115.

Hunter, Sarah. 2015. “On the Surface.” Booklist 111, no. 9/10: 86.

Ruby, Laura. 2015. Bone Gap.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

I might seem on the outside like a big, brave basset hound, but...you want to know a secret? I'm a little scared of the dark. Oh - and vacuums. Definitely vacuums. So I was a little hesitant when I heard we were reviewing a book about ghosts. It turns out I had nothing to worry about – The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is an adventure-filled story with very little to fear – at least, not from the ghosts.

For this review, we listened to the audiobook version of The Graveyard Book. When a mysterious assassin kills his whole family, a little boy is taken in by a family of ghosts who live in the local graveyard. They name him Nobody (Bod for short) and care for him as their own, until the fateful day that the assassin finally finds him. While the basic plot might sound like one of a scary story, much of the storyline is devoted to Bod's adventures in growing up and the development of his tender relationships with the ghosts of the graveyard – and a few other characters who are not quite human...or not quite dead. There is irony in the fact that the creatures usually most feared in stories (ghosts, ghouls, vampires, and werewolves) are the “good guys” in this story, whereas the one creature that should be truly feared is a human.

While the storyline itself is unique and artfully told, the unabridged audiobook version truly brings the characters to life. School Library Journal exclaims, “The full cast, including Gaiman, skillfully depicts each character's unique traits and idiosyncrasies...A must-have for fans of the original novel and anyone who enjoys engaging fantasy” (Spino 2014). Audio quality was excellent. While there were no sound effects or background music, the recording did include a brief musical interlude between chapters, which was more than sufficient for ambience. Gaiman describes the scenery in such detail that you can feel the damp, cool stone of the mausoleum and picture the gravestones slowly giving way to nature as the vines and brambles overtake the cemetery. Booklist had high marks for the storytelling as well, praising the “...narration [which] smoothly elicits every nuance of emotion in the complex plot and blends seamlessly with the dialogue performed by a gifted ensemble who bring each character fully to life, including the dead ones...This is a thoroughly enjoyable listen for all ages” (Rockman 2014).

Gaiman does a wonderful job developing the characters. As young Bod grows, he tackles many of the challenges that all young people face, such as making friends and learning to follow rules. The actor voicing Bod even adjusts his voice as the child grows to reflect his journey from little boy to teenager. Perhaps the richest character in the story is the enigmatic Silas, the tall, dark, and broody creature who is allowed to journey between the living and the dead, unlike the ghosts of the graveyard, who cannot proceed out of the bounds of the church grounds. Gaiman slowly gives the reader hints about his true nature, never stating explicitly what type of creature Silas may be, but providing a “breadcrumb trail” leading the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. The character whose voice acting had the greatest impact in the audiobook was the voicing of the Sleer, a shadowy creature guarding a tomb deep within the hillside of the oldest part of the burial grounds. Every one of the Sleer's lines of dialogue was chilling. His voice was a combination of a whisper and a threat, and even I had goosebumps listening to him speak.

This story is written eloquently, was voiced superbly, and will be enjoyed wholeheartedly for years to come. There's no question why this title has won so many awards, including the Newbery Award and the ALA Best Book for Young Adults award. While the easy-to-follow dialogue and inventive plot may be appealing to younger audiences, I would advise parents to make sure their child is ready for some of the darker elements of the story, especially if this book is read around bedtime. The first paragraphs open with imagery of blood dripping from the knife as the assassin murders an entire family in their sleep, and Gaiman does not shy away from the horror of the scene or from describing the cold-hearted ruthlessness required to commit such an act. Furthermore, a few scenes sprinkled throughout the story also have potentially scary elements, like facing the Sleer in the dark or trying to escape a kidnapping. Some children will take it all in stride as part of a big adventure, but knowing each child's emotional maturity will ensure this story is enjoyed to its full potential.

One book that would complement The Graveyard Book nicely is Rudyard Kipling's classic The Jungle Book, as the two coming-of-age tales closely parallel each other. Another resource to help children extend their learning is librarian Maryska Connelly-Brown's Website about The Graveyard Book, complete with a video tour of the actual graveyard that inspired Neil Gaiman while writing the book, writing prompts, a map-making exercise, and a template for creating a comic strip about the book. This website has a little bit of everything for the curious reader!

While this book definitely made my fur stand on end at times, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook. I give this one two paws up – way up!

Wags and Woofs,

Charlie Brown

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References

Gaiman, Neil. 2014. The Graveyard Book. New York: Harper Audio. ISBN: 9780062364463

Rockman, Connie. 2014. “The Graveyard Book.” Booklist 111, no. 8: 64.

Spino, Amanda. 2014. “The Graveyard Book.” School Library Journal 60, no. 12: 78.