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CM . . .
. Volume X Number 20 . . . . June 4, 2004
excerpt:
As a teenager, one of Tristan's favourite attractions is the city dump. "The place was littered with the off-scourings of a careless people." Tristan marvels at the treasures he finds in the dump. He takes home broken objects, dismantles them to discover how they function and then restores them. He wonders at the inner world of the objects - a world that he cannot see. One day, Tristan discovers a curious locked box constructed from dark wood and metal. He takes the box home and, once he triggers the lock, Tristan discovers many treasures, all "aids to sight, aids to seeing further. Or more closely. Or more clearly." The most intriguing object to Tristan is a Viewmaster-type device. On each of the three accompanying discs, Tristan views the ages of humankind depicted as cyclical structures of growth and destruction, conveying the evils of war, religious persecution and slavery. Each disc has its own particular sounds; the first orb depicts creation and evolution, the second ancient civilization and the third, the Middle Ages. Tristan, frightened by the sights and sounds of the discs, has a restless sleep. The next day at school, Tristan is unfocused as he is eager to return home and peer again into the haunting world of the Viewmaster.
This sophisticated picture book tells a mysterious, eerie and disturbing story. Although an apocalyptic worldview is conveyed, the discs also illustrate the circularity of regeneration and decay. The orbs demonstrate how, over the ages, humans have tried to order their worlds via science, religion, and technology. Circularity is symbolized in numerous images including the design of the text that describes Tristan's absorption into the Viewmaster. Note Tristan's name on the outside of the Viewmaster on the double page spread where he is drawn into the machine - into the inner world that he will now be able to see! Tan includes multiple symbolic representations in his artwork. The recurring image of the comet in every disc (and on the cover) is only one of the many motifs for readers to consider. The orbs created are amazing in their realism. Each disc has nine images, and a human figure from each particular era (e.g., hunter gather, Egyptian, religious figure, Native Chieftain, scientific figure, toxic waste worker) is depicted to the left of the centre image. A version of the human figure is then repeated under the other eight images on each disc. The attention to detail is remarkable, and the synergy between the words and pictures demands, and deserves, close reading. The Viewer encourages and rewards careful observation - on every page readers can point and click on varying images or texts with their eyes. Finally, the unique design of the cover reflects the central themes of the book. Die cut letters on the cover are designed to appear as a viewer, but they are also symbolic of the inner world(s) within the pages of the book. The Viewer is an outstanding picture book in that it invites discussion and lends itself to multiple interpretations. Gary Crew has written several novels for young adults, as well as numerous picture books. He won CBC Picture Book of the Year for The Watertower(1995). Shaun Tan has an outstanding reputation for his illustrative work, and The Viewer won the Crichton Award for Book Illustration in 1998. Highly Recommended. Sylvia Pantaleo is an Associate Professor of Language Arts in the Faculty of Education at BC’s University of Victoria.
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Once Tristan arrives home, he picks up the Viewmaster and inserts the first disc again. However, the orb has changed, and Tristan views the age of conquest and colonization. The second and third discs have also changed - they portray disturbing images of the machine age and a modern ecological crisis. As Tristan tries to pull the Viewmaster from his eyes, he is compelled to continue looking, to actually attempt to enter the machine. When Tristan's mother enters his bedroom the next morning because he has not answered her calls, she discovers an empty bed and a strange box, firmly locked on his desk.