Summer book — shaun tan
Rules of Summer (2013) is a large-format picture book about a friendship between two boys tested by challenging situations. It's a story with no particular narrative, just a list of mysterious rules such as 'Never step on a snail', 'Never argue with an umpire' or 'Never leave a red sock on the clothesline.’ As each rule is broken – not always by accident – surprising consequences ensue. Readers are invited to decide for themselves what is really happening, and why. Silent crows look on as transgressions accrue, building toward an ominous climax. While at first this might seem a book for children, I'm more broadly interested in the universal themes governing any intimate relationship regardless of age, gender or background, from siblings to best friends, co-workers and partners. The private universe of imagination and conflict that can exist here so often defies explanation and is, I think, best represented as a kind of shared dream. This project has been developed as a book initial