[.ca] Red Tree (ISBN 0734405391)

my child is seven; she was delighted and moved:
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!"

A beautiful book on hope:
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.

The red tree:
First I would like to say 'read' is a bit too strong a word for what amount's to a picture book with a sentence on each page. So having looked at this book a few times, (more than once because I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing) I have to say that I was shocked at it's thoroughly depressing content. It might work for an already mentally disturbed child in a 'light at the end of tunnel' kind of way. But what on earth a regular happy-go-lucky kid would experience from looking at this book is beyond me, apart from nightmares that is. When a child is shown this book the first question is going to be what is depression? Depression being a concept that should be as unfamiliar to children as tax returns or hangovers. So I cannot understand why anyone would consider this a book to 'entertain' children.

Shaun Tan's Red Tree powerful:
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.

Quality book - from the message to the paper...:
...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!