Shaun Tan

I am in awe of this man.  What an incredible artist.  He writes children's books, but these are no ordinary children's books.  I really need to buy more of them.  The only one I own as of right now is this one:  The Red Tree.

For those in the book club, I think this book relates really well to the movie we just watched and the concept of despair and how it separates you from hope through denial.

A little girl wakes up to disappointment.  She has a memento of happier times hung above her bed: a red leaf.  We follow her through dream-scape after dream-scape, emphasizing her loneliness, despair, and depression.  She has the sense of a huge weight looming over her, and that wonderful, beautiful things are passing her by and leaving her in darkness.

Little does she realize, but in every place she travels, no matter how staggering the solitude, the red leaf is always there.  But she's always turned away from it.  She can't see it because she's so focused on herself.

But just as she is returning home, and the day seems to end as it began, she sees the red leaf and it grows into a beautiful tree right in front of her.

There's something so incredible about the world we live in.  Even in our darkest times, there is something in reality that is constantly trying to pull us towards the light.  We are constantly being offered a different way of seeing things.   No matter how strongly we turn ourselves agaisnt it, hope creeps in uninvited, waiting for us to see it.

But in order to see the red leaf, we have to keep our eyes open.  If we lose ourselves is depression and despair, we focus too much on our own pain to see the little red leaves in our lives.  On the other hand, if we were to actively seek it, we wouldn't find the red tree.  We can't force red trees into our lives or anyone else's.  All we can do is remain open to the experience, and have faith that though we may not see it, the red leaf is always there, inviting us to life when everything looks like death.

If you have a chance, order this book, and anything else by Shaun Tan.  His illustrations speak volumes, and he has a way of communicating tough truths that even adults struggle with to little children.  In fact, children seem to be more open to the message.  Seriously, do not miss out on this book, it really is incredible.

The Red Tree

Shaun Tan

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