Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan

SHAUN TAN’S RULES OF SUMMER

WINS CBCA PICTURE BOOK OF THE YEAR

Published by Hachette Children's Books

Hachette Australia is thrilled to announce that Shaun Tan has won the 2014 CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award for his book RULES OF SUMMER.

RULES OF SUMMER is a deceptively simple story about two boys, one older and one younger, and the kind of ‘rules’ that might govern any relationship between close friends or siblings. Rules that are often so strange or arbitrary, they seem impossible to understand from the outside. Yet through each exquisite illustration of this nearly wordless narrative, we can enjoy wandering around an emotional landscape that is oddly familiar to us all.

Shaun Tan draws upon his own personal experiences with a surreal snapshot of fishing adventures with his older brother, leaving a sock on the clothes line, and buildings inspired by Brunswick and greater Melbourne. As you venture deep into the story, these poetic images become darker, more mysterious and unsettling, drawing towards a redemptive ending that affirms the depth of true friendship, a bond that is equally wonderful and inexplicable. Moments of humour, surreal fantasy, and the sometimes devastating ways we interact with the people we love the most are presented in Shaun Tan’s typical thought-provoking style. 

A Word from Shaun 'It's absolutely wonderful to be receiving this award for a picture book that's very close to my heart, as well as to have been nominated in the company of so many excellent creators who have also become good friends over the years. So much is still possible in the world of picture books, as perhaps the most universally accessible of all literary genres, and I think Australian creators and publishers are uniquely placed to explore this form, particularly with the support of funding bodies and other organisations such as the CBCA: Australia could easily be an internationally recognised leader in the production of innovative picture books.'

A Word from Suzanne O’Sullivan, Commissioning Editor, Lothian Children’s Books

‘All of us at Hachette are thrilled that RULES OF SUMMER has been honoured by the CBCA. This beautiful, thought-provoking book is Shaun’s most accessible book yet, and it has touched readers of all ages, across Australia and around the world. Shaun is a true visionary and a unique talent, and it is an honour to have published this book.’

About Shaun Tan: Shaun Tan’s award-winning books include the highly acclaimed wordless novel THE ARRIVAL, THE LOST THING, THE RED TREE, THE RABBITS and TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA.

In 2011, Shaun won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, shared an Academy Award for his work on the animated short film version of his book THE LOST THING, and was presented with the Dromkeen Medal for services to children’s literature in Australia.

Shaun has also worked as a theatre designer, as a concept artist for the films ‘Horton Hears a Who’ and Pixar’s ‘WALL-E’ and as an animator on the Academy Award-winning short film adapted from his book THE LOST THING. His books have been translated into more than twenty languages and have won many prizes both in Australia and internationally.

  

For more information about Rules of Summer, including multimedia resources, please visit:

www.rulesofsummer.com.au