Module 3: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Book cover image:
 
Book Summary: Hugo Cabret is an orphan living in the walls of a Paris train station with his uncle, who keeps the station's clocks running. Hugo's only goal is to figure out the automaton that his father left behind when he died, thinking it will hold some message from his father. When his uncle disappears, however, Hugo finds himself in a race to against time to figure out the secrets of the automaton before the authorities in the train station realize that he is living on his own and take both him and the automaton away. Matters are complicated when his father's notebook, which contains all of his notes on the automaton, is taken by an angry toy shop keeper who catches Hugo stealing from him, and soon Hugo finds himself looking to solve not only the mystery of the automaton, but also of the grouchy shopkeeper who seems to know more than he is saying.

APA Reference of the book:

Selznick, B. (2007). The invention of Hugo Cabret. New York: Scholastic Press.

Impressions: I immediately fell in love with this book when I first read it, as the unique combination of pictures and words told a story in such a way that either one alone never could.  At first it was almost startling to turn the page after several pages dark with pencil-drawn pictures and find a flat panel of white partially filled with text, but after awhile the shift between the two became more natural and helped draw me more into the story. The shift between relatively quickly paging through the pictures and stopping to read text also helped set the pace of the story, slowing down and speeding up depending on which section was being read. The growing mystery of the story also helped to draw me in, and I read onward quickly to find out just what was going on. Also, the illustrations helped to not only establish the setting and characters, but also mimic the movies of the time in that they are in black and white. The story is an engaging one in which the reader is cheering on the protagonist throughout and can share his emotions, and can help the reader to connect with the story. Overall, it combines a lovable protagonist with an intriguing plot that leaves the reader, or me at least, dying to know what is going to happen next, as well as beautiful illustrations that move the story along as much as the text.

 

Professional Review: " Brian Selznick has created a bit of an anomaly: though his book is a blend of visual and textual narrative, it isn't a graphic novel, it is hundreds of pages longer than the average picture book, and the term "illustrated novel" doesn't really address its particular nature. Specifically, unlike most of the books in any of the three aforementioned formats, the drawings and text in this novel work not in synchronous partnership but rather sequentially, with the story handed off from pages of text to pages of visual narrative, resulting in something that evokes an intricate and tension-filled silent movie.
    These alternating narrative media tell the story of twelve-year-old orphan Hugo, a boy who desperately misses his recently deceased father and who struggles to hold his life together after a new tragedy, the disappearance and likely death of his uncle, Hugo's guardian. Hugo had been acting as an apprentice to his uncle, learning to set the clocks in a Paris train station; as long as he keeps the clocks set properly, suggesting his uncle's continued presence, he can hide the fact that he is now living alone, stealing food to survive, and scavenging bits of machinery to pursue his dream: the restoration of a complex automaton that his father had found in a museum. At first, Hugo works from a notebook of diagrams that his father left behind, but after this is taken from him by an irate toymaker who catches Hugo stealing, he eventually discovers that he is talented enough to continue without it. The story also hints at broader mysteries with curious connections: the toymaker immediately recognizes the sketches of the automaton, a necklace worn by the toymaker's granddaughter is the last item needed by Hugo to complete the restoration, and the drawing that the automaton eventually produces has a dramatic impact on all of the characters.
    Far from feeling coincidental or forced, however, the plot unfolds in satisfying layers, like a dramatic mystery film. And indeed, the careful pacing, heavy black frames that outline each page, and the sequential views that zoom in on a single image produce a remarkable cinematic effect. The nearly 300 pages of elegant pencil drawings, most combined in pages-long sequences, pick up where the text leaves off and sweep the reader along until the story is picked up again in words, sometimes twenty pages and several scenes later. The film influences are apparent in both the plot (the toymaker is the prolific filmmaker George Méliès, considered the father of science fiction movies) and in the visual images, several of which are photographed stills from Méliès' movies.
    Avi's elegant Silent Movie (BCCB 4/03) recently explored this alluring genre, and Selznick ably picks up the thread, offering an engaging novel and intriguing end . matter (author's note, film credits, and further reading list) that all but guarantee interest in the subject of silent film. It may well elicit some rather unexpected library requests for more information on early twentieth-century filmmaking; better yet, any library lucky enough to still have 16mm films in their collection will be perfectly equipped to offer young readers a rare glimpse into the quirkiness, beauty, and near magic of early moving pictures.
    D[e]spite that sophisticated artistry, this remains a book firmly and appealingly intended for its young target audience. True, adults are likely to find it intriguing, and they will enjoy some of the subtleties that kids may miss (Remy Charlip posing as Georges Méliès, for example). However, the pacing, plot, and characters are all geared to young readers, who will find Hugo, the intrepid orphan racing against time and toward his goals, as compelling as the artistic tribute to cinema and forgotten filmic geniuses. Nor are they likely to mind the book's multiple layers; instead, they'll appreciate the ambition, embrace the complexities, and revel in the rare experience of an original and creative integration of art and text. (See p. 344 for publication information.)"

Spisak, A. (2007). [The invention of Hugo Cabret]. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 60(8), p. 321-344. Retrieved from: http://bccb.lis.illinois.edu/.

Library uses: This book, in addition to telling a captivating story, also gives some insight into the early days of filmmaking. Sharing this book with a class, either by reading it together (a document camera would be very helpful for projecting the illustrations on a Smart Board), or by book talking and allowing students to explore the book on their own could begin a discussion of that era in history in general, or of the history of filmmaking in particular.