Cicada

While this is officially marketed as a children's book, I speak as someone who worked too many years in a cubicle & finally made his escape from it. And any adult who ever did the same will find that this all-too-accurate story strikes home with a vengeance! It certainly did with me. Of course, the art is darkly beautiful, as might be expected from the gift Shaun Tan. And the minimalist text works quite effectively, leading the protagonist (and the reader) into darker & darker territory … and then to a moving conclusion, with Cicada having achieved … well, I'll leave that to the reader to discover, as I don't want to spoil the surprising ending. Let me touch on the negative reviews, which find the story too grim & depressing for younger readers. I'd say that it's no different than the original fairy tales of yore, which were darker & more honest about life than what Disney & others have made of them since. And in any case, even if some of this goes over the heads of younger readers, many of their parents are actually living the same story; kids are perceptive enough to see & understand more than many adults are willing to admit. Finally, I can't see any of those younger readers being upset or depressed by the ending, particularly with Cicada's closing words. (Again, you'll have to see for yourself.) As my subject line notes, this almost reads like a Kafka story for kids. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. If anything, the story will evoke empathy & compassion in its younger readers. But worried parents might want to read it first & decide for themselves. As far as I'm concerned, highly recommended!

(this is not a children's book...it's not offensive to children, it just presents with a slightly darker concept than most children' book deal with.) Sean Tan's books are AMAZING. I only pray that he makes lots of money from them, and never has to do anything but create more stories and drawings. This little book tells the most amazing tale...I keep it on my coffee table and hand it to everyone who has to wait a few minutes for me. Every single person has loved it. And if you really want to be impressed - Get a copy of "The Arrival." Without a single written word other than the title, it will not only create a story of an immigrant's experience, it will cause you to FEEL like an immigrant yourself, as you are forced to understand the world you find yourself in - without the help of words! Having just read the negative reviews - I want to tell readers: This is not about suicide AT ALL!!! It's a book about transformation!!! (How did those readers not know that????)

The gift was for an adult who LOVES cicadas and they absolutely loved this!

I love the illustration and all the question you can find in the book. It have a beautiful storytelling.

This is a beautiful book both physically and as a work of art and as a piece of writing. I love this book and my kids love this book.

Really makes me sad but resonates with me. Great coffee table book. Artwork and meaning is beautiful. This artist is incredible

Shaun Tan has done it again! Such a powerful message in such a simple story. Much like an "ace" in tennis, it looks easy, but its so hard to pull off. Its a story that will resonate with anyone who has worked at a job that has felt unappreciated and a resolution that we all have in us. Just brilliant! Highly recommend this book!!!

This was a gift for a friend and was such good quality and a really great book. She loved it!

Ilustraciones tan llenas de expresividad que te sumergen en las emociones de cicada, talvés el lector es cicada en un millónn de formas.

I got it delivered on time with no damages.

As with all the other books of this author, this one is a work of art in every sense, visually and conceptually. The way the character is presented is both specific and universal, and expresses beautifully the sense of being an outsider, the need to belong, but also the ability to transcend our difficulties and to find meaning in life.

L'histoire se lit en une minute mais traite avec justesse du monde du travail mais peut également évoquer le harcèlement en général. le personnage de la cigale est très touchant, le tout servi par les magnifiques tableaux de Shaun Tan. Un très beau livre à posséder dans sa bibliothèque

この翻訳本を書店で見つけて、和訳もよかったが、是非とも原語で読みたいものだとアマゾンで注文。平易な英語ではあるが、そのそっけない表現がかえって心をゆさぶる。途中までは胸がつぶれるような思いで読み進めるのだが、最後に思いがけない希望があるという設定だというのが個人的な解釈。正解かどうかは著者のみが知るのだろうが、２０２１年の最高の一冊になるのは間違いない。ショーン・タンの展覧会も北九州でまだやっているので楽しみ。