Customer Reviews

The Red Tree

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!"

The Red Tree has become a powerful symbol in our family for hope and strong positive feelings. We've been to the Out of the Box festival in Brisbane, Queensland where the play of the book premiered, and it is true to the story and concepts Shaun Tan was painting. His detailed imagery provides hours of enjoyment for young readers and old to explore their feelings, their reactions. His illustrations cater to the thinking child who doesn't need everything handed to them on a plate in primary colours. We look forward to more from Shaun Tan.

This book may seem "depressing" at first, but then you have to read it again. The red tree, or hope, at first seems to be a destination at the end...and that if you can get through all the crap in life, you'll reach a state of happiness. But then, you might notice that there is a red leaf on every page of the book...to show that the red tree did not grow in the course of the day and that it existed only at the end, but that it was there all along if one had the eye to see it. If the red tree is like hope and vocation, then the book seems to be saying that we shouldn't displace them to the future, but look for them in the present and in the finite. This is a much deeper book than one might think at first glance.

...and everything in between! I write and publish picture books, so I look at the quality of the book from every angle. Not only is it a touching message, but the simple text along with the complex and piercing illustrations takes your breath away. I have a rapport with the book buyer at my local independent store and when I walked in, she just handed me "The Red Tree" and said, "You have to read this." She was right. I've read it many times and each of the many people I've shown it to has been awed. I wouldn't just give this book to any ol' kid, but many sensitive children would treasure this book forever...and it would make a particularly nice gift for an adult, too!

What a tremendous book ... although it's right to expect something truly special from Australia's best picture book illustrator.

The text of the book is deceptively simple, and perfectly economical. Its true power is revealled by the images, which are haunting and unforgettable. Although feelings of depression and loneliness strike us all, Tan has found a note-perfect way to depict complex and dark emotions. I've heard (and used) many analogies for the darkness that accompanies depression, but when you see Tan's images, everything else will fall short.

So with such themes of darkness, does the book soar? Definitely! The conclusion is unaffected and uplifting, reminiscent of the Australian writer and illustrator Michael Leunig.

I cannot, in all honesty, think of any life, at any age, that would not be enriched by this simple, lyrical and moving book. Highly recommended.

I just got this book today and have gone through it at least 10 times. (Yes, I know children's books are short, but I DO have a short attention span!) The pictures are incredible, and the simple "story" (short captions for the pictures) is quite moving. I'm planning to give it to all my friends for the holidays this year... and it's only May!

As someone who has anxiety and chronic depression, the pictures in this book express the reality of my feelings. I can now open up to a certain page and tell my husband, "I feel just like this picture," and he begins to understand. The pictures portray feelings and emotions superbly. The text helps a bit by getting your mind thinking about what emotions are being shown in the illustration. If you are someone with depression, or know someone with depression, this book can help with the communication that words sometimes can't explain.

Written and illustrated by award-winning artist and author Shaun Tan, The Red Tree is the story of a young girl who feels that sometimes days begin with nothing good to look forward to, and downwardly progresses from worse to even worse. She wanders an imaginary and surreal dreamscape of cold and misery, yet there is a curious red leaf which leads her to remember a bright possibility of purity and good things, both here and to come. Richly and imaginatively illustrated, The Red Tree is a thought-provoking, entertaining picture book for children that carries an ultimate message of hope.

As an adult I found the few words in this book to mean so much. The pictures really set the atmosphere of the emotions being portrayed. I love this book! It is a work of emotional art that can be read over and over again and will mean so many more things each time! I absolutely recommend this book to adults as well as children. A true *gem* which I will treasure always.

I am an avid collector of children's books, simply for the illustrations. This is my first introduction to Shaun Tan's wonderful artwork, but will certainly not be my last!

As I don't have children, I can't say whether the pictures will appeal to them, or not. They're a little dark and may scare some young people. The story is very simple and short and should assuage the feelings of those children who find themselves sometimes depressed and believe they're the only ones. I did think, however, the ending was a little sudden and oblique.