Very short, and Tan's illustrations are the star attraction here, but still well worth your time, no matter your age.

It was some kind of time capsule that may have existed since the dawn of creation, in a box with many other artefacts that would be recognisable to people of different ages and periods - hence the fact that the viewer would emulate a children’s toy, and be picked up by a twentieth century suburban kid. I had to read this a few times to capture and fully appreciate the story; however I still feel like if I looked at it again I would notice more that I didn't before (the best kind of story)! One flaw of the book is that it’s perhaps too visually inventive for it’s own good, a common mistake of new picture book illustrators (I was 22 at the time). Furthermore there is only one way to describe the eye that is constantly staring at you throughout the whole book.In retrospect, I’m not sure if many of these ideas actually work or are even noticeably to readers, as there’s always the danger that a work becomes far more meaningful to the creator than the receiver. The story is one of those creepy, horror stories that never comes right out and names the threat, or gives exact details about how the threat is eventually carried out. It does at least succeed to some extent in its purpose - to intrigue the reader rather than enlighten them. Dr Gary Crew, author of novels, short stories and picture books for older children and young adults, began his writing career in 1985, when he was a high school teacher.

My key contribution at the conceptual level was probably the suggestion that this dangerous device was not from outer space, but ‘home-grown’ terrestrial spookiness. The discussion we had at the end of the story was so lively because there are so many possible interpretations.

I feel the ending of the book represents his own death, there is no response, he is not there, and has joined the viewmaster (the never ending cycle of death). This idea was central to a thesis I wrote as a Fine Arts and English Literature undergraduate in 1995, that our ideas of the world are almost always mediated by machines. However, if you have found it useful and would consider chucking a book my way (I’m trying to collect class sets for my class), I’d really appreciate it! As always with both Gary Crew AND Shaun Tan, I need a bit of warming up to appreciate them so this took an evening of close reading to glean some understanding. It works perfectly with Crew's wording enhancing and adding to rather and just accompanying the story.