Shaun Tan Memorial Analysis

Childrens literature is important as it helps build the foundation for a child’s education and allows them to further their knowledge in many areas. Illustralitions are a significant aspect to children's books as it helps them to comprehend the story that the author has written. The childrens picture book, Memorial written by Gary Crew and illustrated by Shaun Tan, is a sophisticated childrens book, which tells a historical and cultural narrative. The story Crew has written is a sophisticated topic for such a young age that pushes boundaries, however the illustrations Tan has done allows the children to visualise the story and allows them to have an imaginative experience of a historical event. Memorial tells the story about a historical tree which was planted in1918 to commemorate the end of

The dialogue Crew has written between “old pa” and his grandson “we got chopped to bits at ypres” (Memorial, 1999) shows the brutal and slaughterus experiences “old pa” went through during the First World War. By Tan using the colour blue in “old pa’s” eyes, he accentuates the saddness, therefore showing a message that it is not only a book that is able to tell a story but it can also be told through people’s eyes. This allows the audience to connect on a deeper level with the realism and historical past of the war, as well as the past life expeiences in the grandfather’s stories. The use of the army camouflage colours in the illustrations is also a strong tool in suggesting to the children that this book has a direct connection to the army, soldiers, wars and battles. The images of the people, the soldiers and the women also add to the historical reality of the content of the