Shaun Tan Wins an Academy Award

Shaun Tan is one of the most treasured illustrators and writers of childrens books in Australia today. Many of his books, like The Arrival, The Red Tree and The Rabbits, have become contemporary classics of Australian childrens literature.

And now Shaun Tan has added to his long list of accolades and awards by winning an Academy Award. Shaun won the 'best animated short' Oscar at this year's ceremony. It's the same award won by fellow Australian Adam Elliot for his short film Harvie Krumpet in 2003. Shaun won for an adaptation of his book, The Lost Thing.

The story follows a young boy living in a post-apocalyptic Perth who discovers a bizarre creature while out collecting bottle tops. The boy tries to find where the 'lost thing' belongs in the face of everyone else's indifference.

The film version of The Lost Thing uses the vocal talents of comedian Tim Minchin as the narrator of the story and was co-directed with Andrew Ruhemann, who has been a producer of many film projects including the documentaries One Day in September, The Rolling Stones: Stones in Exile and My Kid Could Paint That.

The Lost Thing has won awards and prizes at many film festivals including both the Sydney and Melbourne Film Festivals, and the Austin and Palm Springs festivals in the US.

Shop for Shaun Tan titles online at Shearer's Bookshop