Australian illustrator and writer Shaun Tan

Fri, 08/15/2014 - 8:39am by yugure

If you haven't picked up a book by Australian illustrator and writer Shaun Tan before, drop everything you're doing and check him out. Winning awards since 1992 for his illustrations - including the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (an international award recognizing outstanding individuals' career contributions to children's literature), two Hugo Awards for Best Professional Artist, and even an Academy Award for Best Short Film for an adaptation of his book The Lost Thing - Shaun Tan is an artistic force to be reckoned with.

His wordless graphic novel The Arrival made a splash when it came out in 2006, and his follow up Tales from Outer Suburbia was a big hit in the US as well. This year Tan released a book called Rules of Summer, and it's a must see.

Rules of Summer follow the lives of two boys who explain the "rules" they learned over one summer. By no means wordy, Rules of Summer is primarily a visual exploration of the fantasy world the boys create out of their urban landscape. It's a story of creativity and cooperation with lush visuals and a great sense of humor.