The Wonders of Brian Selznick

I had to write a post about the works of Brian Selznick because I wanted to share how utterly amazing I find them. These are more than simple children’s books – they are works of art like no other. These books combine text and illustrations magically, with the illustrations telling portions of the story seamlessly and artfully, yet without words. As is apparent, the written word is at the heart of what I do and what I believe and what I love, so I have to admit to being doubtful when hearing of the concept. Have no doubt; these are books worth reading, worth owning, and worth looking at again and again.

hugo At the turn of the 20^th century Hugo Cabret is hiding in the train station in Paris, keeping the clocks running now that his uncle is gone, and stealing to provide himself with food. His deceased father left him a notebook full of drawings and a non-working automaton – in Hugo’s spare time he works on bringing it back to life. When he meets a strange girl and her grandfather in the train station he becomes embroiled in the mysteries of their lives while still trying to preserve his own.

“Maybe that’s why a broken machine always makes me a little sad, because it isn’t able to do what it was meant to do…Maybe it’s the same with people,” Hugo continued. “If you lose your purpose…it’s like you’re broken.”

Title: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Author: Brian Selznick
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Pages: 533
Publication: Scholastic Press, January 2007

Wonderstruck adds another level of complexity to a story told largely through illustrations. It tells of the story of two different characters, Ben and Rose, fifty years apart in time. Ben’s story is told through words while Rose’s is told through the illustrations. Both embark on a quest to find what is missing in their lives and eventually their stories will come together. The transition between the stories, and their ultimate intertwining, is seamless. What could be confusing is instead artful and beautiful.