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
