When you see The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick on the bookshelf the first thing you notice is that it doesn't look like the typical Caldecott Medal Award winner; it looks more like War and Peace! It is massive with a total of 534 pages! But, as you flip through the pages you realize, yes, this is a Caldecott book, look at all of the illustrations! The Invention Of Hugo Cabret is about a boy, Hugo Cabret. He is an orphan whose uncle takes him to live in a Paris train station to take care of all the clocks. His uncle disappears and Hugo is left to fend for himself while still keeping the clocks working. Hugo stands to lose everything he cares about; notebook, automaton, stolen key, and a hidden message, if the contrary, old man who runs the toy booth at the station has his way.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret is told through narrative and illustrations. There are 284 pencil drawn, black and white illustrations. The characters are well developed and you find yourself holding your breath as Hugo races through the train station. I enjoyed this book, tremendously! I cared about the characters and hoped for a happy ending for Hugo.
