Cicada by Shaun Tan. PICTURE BOOK. Arthur A. Levine Books (Scholastic), 2019. $20. 9781338298390
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
A cicada wears a suit and goes to work every day with very little monetary compensation and no respect. He makes no mistakes and works late until his work his done, but the humans around him still abuse him. On the day of his retirement he gets no party or words of appreciate, and heads to the roof of the building and stands on the edge. There he sheds his skin and flies away.
Honestly, I wish I had something smart to say about this book. I can see that there is a powerful commentary here on the way we treat others that are different than ourselves, but I am having a hard time imagining who the audience for this book is. The art is powerful and realistic, although grey-toned and depressing. It also looks like the cicada will commit suicide at one point, making this a potentially triggering read.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
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