by Brian SelznickFrom an opening shot of the full moon setting over an awakening Paris in 1931, this tale casts a new light on the picture book form. Hugo is a young orphan secretly living in the walls of a train station where he labors to complete a mysterious invention left by his father. In a work of more than 500 pages, the suspenseful text and wordless double-page spreads narrate the tale in turns. Neither words nor pictures alone tell this story, which is filled with cinematic intrigue. Black & white pencil illustrations evoke the flickering images of the silent films to which the book pays homage. This write-up is taken from the Caldecott website.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret won the Caldecott Medal in 2008. The Caldecott Medal is awarded by the American Library Association to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. The book is geared towards the 9-12 age group.
I'm very glad I listened to so many of you that had read and recommended this book. I can't wait for my grandson to be old enough to read this. I think he'll be interested in the gears and automation. Oh, heck - the whole story will win him over! As it did me.
