The Singing Bones

LoveReading Says

A gloriously enticing and shiver-inducing read, where sculpture sits as a window into the soul of the fairytales of the Brothers Grimm. I saw this book at a distance and it immediately beckoned to me, the cover ensured I just had to pick it up and open it. You know when there is a foreword by Neil Gaiman that it’s going to be something rather special.

Each double page consists of a snippet from a Grimm’s fairy tale, followed by a photo of a sculpture depicting that tale by Shaun Tan. It sounds so simple, it is simple, yet he invokes such a deluge of feelings, even now, some days after opening it for the first time, I’ve developed goose bumps.

Some sculptures made me shiver, sorrowful, others smile in delight, every single one spoke to me and I wanted to reach into the page and touch them. The sculptures feel old, as though they just came into being rather than being made, as such I felt as though the stories could have been written about the sculptures rather than the other way round.

If you truly know your Grimms, then this book will sing to you, if you don’t then it will make you want to discover the true heart of them. ‘The Singing Bones’ is knowing, evocative, and a truly wonderful read, it’s a book to keep close at hand and dip into again and again. ~ Liz Robinson

Reviewed by Liz Robinson
Liz has been an Editorial Expert writing reviews for LoveReading since 2014.
More reviews by Liz Robinson

About The Singing Bones

Artist Shaun Tan is world renowned for his singular vision and storytelling abilities. This art book showcases his sculptural talent, applied here to fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm. Tan captures the essence of these tales as he brings traitorous brothers, lonely princesses, cunning foxes, honourable peasants and ruthless witches to life in surprising - and illuminating - ways.

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