a ‘grown-up’ feel to hook reluctant readers and writers.striking and thought-provoking illustrations.irresistible triggers for discussion and writing.quirky stories, short enough to share as a stimulus at the beginning of a lesson.There are many elements which make this a book we recommend: You could quite easily take one out of context and use as a trigger for writing. The illustrations are powerful, varied in style and form, and stand in their own right as pieces of captivating art. The text has a rich and modern voice which speaks to the reader as if speaking in confidence to a friend. Reading the words without the pictures makes for an interesting exercise in considering the way the two different means of communication work together. The reader creates her or his own tale, filling in the gaps through speculation and imagination.Īs with much of Tan’s work, the words and pictures tell different parts of the story. Tan often sets up a mystery and then leaves the room. Some are very short, more vignettes than narratives, while others, such as ‘Eric’, ‘Broken Toys’ and ‘Grandpa’s Story’ are fully formed. They are all set in Tan’s version of suburbia where the curious and peculiar lurk behind the everyday, although the stories are otherwise unrelated.

Intriguing and mysterious, these short stories have a flavour of 'The Twilight Zone', as they blend the familiar and alien in strange, amusing and sometimes unsettling ways.

Outer suburbia