This recent Caldecott Winner is hard to describe.  You could say it is a graphic novel, but that would conjure up images of comic books and talk bubbles and it is nothing like that.  You could say it was a heavily illustrated children’s book.  But that doesn’t quite capture it either.  I suppose the best description would be to say that Brian Selznik somehow took a silent film and magically transformed it into a 526 page book.

If you’re in a bookstore or library any time soon, find this book and flip through it.  It is the only way to really experience and understand it.  It is almost a new form of art.  I hope Selznik makes a habit of this kind of storytelling.  I would love to see it done for an adult book.  Hugo’s story was sweet, but it was a child’s tale.  I would love to read a book with adult text and themes done with this gorgeous artwork.

For a taste (just a taste) of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, check out the official site and click the link at the bottom of the “About Hugo Cabret” page, which has a flash slide-show of the opening art sequence.