HUGO

Book # 11

When I first saw The Invention of Hugo Cabret at the library to borrow it, I seriously thought it was a novel. I hadn't opened the 2 inch thick novel until I returned home when I realized that there were pictures! Illustrations, sketches, and movie captures make up a hefty percentage of the pages in the book. That was when I realized it was a children's book. Prior to the movie, I had never heard of the book, most likely because it was published when I was an annoying 7th grader who read chick lits.

Aside from all of that nonsense, Hugo was a quite interesting read. Sure, it was written at an elementary school level, but the author (Brian Selznick) captured a view of an intriguing young boy with an incredible talent but also has to resort to petty theft. It was a sweet story with a happy ending but what really fascinated me was the pace of the illustrations. While I was leafing through the chunks of illustrations, I discovered a great flow from one to the next. It almost resembled a flipbook and I really understood what they were intended to depict.

I think this is a great story to share with younger children and I can just imagine how fascinated they would be in the great contraptions that come out of the story. All in all, it's a good read if you happen to come across it, but try not to keep your hopes up. It is, after all, a children's book.

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Until next time,
J