Shaun Tan’s wonderfully whimsical children’s book cum graphic novel, Tales From Outer Suburbia, appeared on a lot of book bloggers’ ‘best of 2009′ lists, but up to that point, it wasn’t even on my radar. Then a coworker and friend who works in the children’s department here at the library recommended it to me.

Now, this particular person used to work in the Adult Services area, where I work. But early on, she moved over to the Children’s area (or as I like to call it, the dark side) and ever since has continually tried to foist various picture books on me, exclaiming over some treasure she’d found among the children’s stacks. And I’m sure they’re very good books, but I just do not generally read children’s books, particularly picture books. A few weeks ago, when I saw The Onion’s hilarious spoof of the popularity of children’s books among adults, I immediately thought of this friend (and sent her the link to the video, which got me called a not-very-kid-friendly name, all in good fun, of course). Here’s the clip, in case you haven’t seen it:

Adults Go Wild Over Latest In Children’s Picture Book Series

So anyway, if I hadn’t first heard about Tales From Outer Suburbia from my fellow book bloggers, I probably would have pooh-poohed my friend’s recommendation, and thus missed out on a delightful book that both charmed and touched me. As I finished each story, I would think, “OK, that’s my favorite,” only to go on to read the next one and say, “OK, no, THAT’s my favorite.” In the end, I don’t think I could choose just one story, as they are all wonderful in their exploration of the things that make suburban life both surreal and ordinary. The drawings are both sweet and evocative, with more than a touch of melancholy that give the stories emotional depth and draw the reader into this bizarre yet familiar landscape.

From sage-like water buffalo to a mysterious exchange student, to decorated backyard missiles and finding out for oneself what lies beyond the map, each story in this collection is a little bit of magic in a seemingly mundane world. Perhaps I’ll venture into the dark side a bit more often.