The Invention of Hugo Cabret

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Selznick, Brian. 2007. The invention of Hugo Cabret. Scholastic Press: New York. ISBN 0439813786

Orphan, Hugo Cabret fixes the clocks of Paris train station in the 1930’s. Hugo, left all alone, suspects he was abandoned by his uncle, the official caretaker of the train station clocks. Hugo travels through the secret train station walls, maintaining the clocks, stealing food and spying on a toy maker and his daughter. A broken automaton in his possession prompts him to steal parts from the toy maker’s booth. When caught red handed, Hugo is thrown into the world of the toy maker and his daughter which leads to Hugo’s and the toy maker’s salvation. The storyline blends the story of orphan Hugo with the toy makers historical past, as one of the earliest and greatest filmmakers.

This book has intrigue, mystery and beautiful pencil drawings by the author himself. The title from the title page states this is a “Novel in Pictures and Words”. The many black and white illustrations (and photos) are an intricate part of the text. The illustrations continue where the text of the story ends, before becoming text again. Selznick won the 2008 Caldecott Medal for distinguished art in Children’s Picture Books.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
Review from SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: March 01, 2007
“With characteristic intelligence, exquisite images, and a breathtaking design, Selznick shatters conventions related to the art of bookmaking in this magical mystery set in 1930s Paris. He employs wordless sequential pictures and distinct pages of text to let the cinematic story unfold, and the artwork, rendered in pencil and bordered in black, contains elements of a flip book, a graphic novel, and film.”

Review from PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: January 01, 2007
“Here is a true masterpiece-an artful blending of narrative, illustration and cinematic technique, for a story as tantalizing as it is touching. Twelve-year-old orphan Hugo lives in the walls of a Paris train station at the turn of the 20th century, where he tends to the clocks and filches what he needs to survive. … The plot ultimately has much to do with the history of the movies, and Selznick's genius lies in his expert use of such a visual style to spotlight the role of this highly visual media. A standout achievement.”