Rules of Summer

3.5★s

Rules of Summer is a book for young readers by award-winning Australian illustrator and author, Shaun Tan. It begins "This is what I learned last summer". What follows is a collection of clever illustrations augmented by a set of rules. Those rules might be a bit confusing. Rules like "never drop your jar" will, in conjunction with the illustration, seem to make perfect sense; "never step on a snail" seems less intuitive. Maybe this simply demonstrates that in childhood, many rules seem arbitrary, made by who knows?, displaying little logic but to be followed at threat of some unnamed peril. Perhaps the back cover says it all: "Never break the rules. Especially if you don't understand them."

The text pages are already marked with scribbles in coloured pencil, smudges, creases, mildew spots, blotches, stains and crinkles – an ideal book for young readers as it really won't matter if they add a few of their own. Observant readers will note the bird on every page and soon be checking for its location. All a little bizarre, but with Tan's excellent artwork.