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| Image retrieved from www.amazon.com |
1. Bibliography
Tan, Shaun. Rules of Summer. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2013. ISBN 9780545639125
2. Plot Summary
Summer of Rules follows the adventures of two brothers during a summer together. Each page depicts a new adventure and then gives a rule that has resulted from it. The rules are made by the older brother who seems to have the upper hand in their sibling relationship. He takes advantage of his age by making rules that only benefit himself, and that provide a valuable lesson for his younger brother. Rules such as “Never give your keys to a stranger,” because you might get stuck outside while the stranger takes your place on the couch. On their own, the rules wouldn’t make any sense to the reader. However, Shaun Tan’s beautiful illustrations give meaning and humor to each one.
3. Critical Analysis
This creatively written book filled with beautiful illustrations takes the reader on a summer adventure with two brothers. The book seems like a simple story at first, but when taking a closer look at the rules and the illustrations accompanying them, the reader gets an in-depth look at one of the aspects of a sibling relationship that anyone who has a sibling knows - the one in which the older sibling has the advantage. The older brother in this story uses his size, age, and cleverness throughout their summer to teach his younger brother lessons - mostly lessons about who is in charge! The younger brother learns to “Never forget the password,” because he’ll end up on his knees at the door begging his brother to come in. He learns to “Never argue with an umpire,” because you’ll never win - especially when the umpire is your brother. He learns to “Never wait for an apology,” because he’ll most likely be waiting until the end of time.
Shaun Tan finds inspiration for this story and illustrations from his own experiences growing up in Australia with an older brother. The buildings in Tan’s illustrations are inspired by Brunswick and Melbourne - sights that were most likely familiar to him as a child. Tan portrays the building in a way that makes them seem huge, the way they would be seen from a child’s perspective. Tan’s use of his own experiences in Australia, combined with his illustrations that are inspired by Australian architecture, are cultural markers in this book.
Each one of Tan’s drawings are beautifully unique and give incredible attention to detail. Just like childhood often seems like a dream of long ago, Tan’s illustrations portray this dream-like time in a person’s life. It was a time when imaginations ran wild, and we were all trying to figure out how just how relationships worked, whether with siblings, friends, or parents. Shaun Tan takes readers back in time to remember their own summer adventures with siblings and friends.
4. Review Excerpts
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (May 1, 2014): "Sumptuous and sincere—this title is a winner."
From BOOKLIST (April 15, 2014): "Tan (The Bird King, 2013) continues to wow readers with his expansive, surreal images."
5. Connections
Gather other books written and illustrated by Shaun Tan such as:
Lost and Found. ISBN 9780545229241
Tales from Outer Suburbia. ISBN 9780545055871
The Red Tree. ISBN 9780734401724
Visit the following website for a Teacher’s Guide to Rules of Summer that includes activities for language and visual literacy, discussion, and creative arts:
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