ILLUSTRATOR / AUTHOR

After completing a Fine Arts degree in Literature, Shaun's focus on illustration has taken him to the science-fiction genre, political cartooning and picture books. Shaun's work with writers John Marsden and Gary Crew and writing of his own, has established him as a progressive in 'sophisticated picture books'.

His first self-authored and illustrated picture book, THE LOST THING, was released in mid 2000. Shaun followed this up with THE RED TREE in early 2003, a colourful look at the metaphors we use to describe emotions and imagination.

Shaun interpreted, with strikingly original illustrations, John Marsden's allegory of colonisation, industrialisation and population growth in THE RABBITS. The book, as with Tan's illustrations on a whole, breaks the bounds of the usual concepts of a picture book.

Shaun spent 4 years working on THE ARRIVAL, a 130-page graphic novel without words which was released in 2006.

So far, THE ARRIVAL has won the NSW Premier's Literary Awards Book of the Year 2007 and is shortlisted for the 2007 CBC Picture Book of the Year.

For information on student learning activities based on THE ARRIVAL and other shortlisted books, please click here.

In 2006, 2007 and 2008, Shaun presented an address on the meaning of Visual Literacy at the Booked Out Visual Literacy seminar in Melbourne. Shaun's work THE LOST THING is currently under development by Pixar Studios – which is keeping Shaun very busy! The best place to hear him speak is at one of our seminars – keep an eye on the bulletin board to see what we have planned.

For more information, please visit Shaun's website: www.shauntan.net