I've got a crush on you

You know that fluttery awestruck feeling you get inside when you see something that is just out of this world awesome? That's the feeling I got when I first stumbled upon Shaun Tan's work.

The first book I read of his was "The Red Tree". I came across it in class when I was in uni and the way Tan combines collage with mystery and quirky little details made me swoon inside and I had to find more of his work.

I've been slowly accumulating his books and the other week I went to Planet Books in Mt Lawley (which by the way, is such an amazing place for a bibliophile!) and acquired a few!


First up is "Tales from Outer Suburbia"


It's a book featuring a collection of little stories and plenty of amazing illustrations. I really love the endpapers!







A new book that I discovered in store is "The Bird King and other sketches". I had to have this one, it's full of his sketches and for some reason I always like artists raw sketches rather than the finished product.



Again, the endpapers are amazing! Just look at that budgie!









And then I saw this journal with his illustration on the front. There is a kitty holding a teapot on it!!! At first I wasn't going to get it but then my man saw how wistfully I was looking at it and bought it for me. Maybe one day it will be filled with many illustrations that are at least as half as good as Shaun Tan's.



What illustrator makes you feel all gooey on the inside?