Picture of author.

Terry Fan

Author of The Night Gardener

7+ Works 1,468 Members 73 Reviews

About the Author

Image credit: Terry Fan / photo credit Eric Fan

Works by Terry Fan

The Night Gardener (2016) 582 copies
Ocean Meets Sky (2018) 321 copies
It Fell from the Sky (2021) 292 copies
The Barnabus Project (2020) 169 copies
Lizzy and the Cloud (2022) 101 copies
La Merveille (2022) 2 copies
Project Barnabus (2022) 1 copy

Associated Works

The Thing about Jellyfish (2015) — Illustrator, some editions — 1,373 copies
Rooftoppers (2012) — Illustrator, some editions — 693 copies
The Darkest Dark (2016) — Illustrator — 383 copies
The Scarecrow (2019) — Illustrator — 271 copies
A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader (2018) — Illustrator — 234 copies
The Antlered Ship (2017) — Illustrator — 217 copies
The Lifters (2018) — Cover artist, some editions — 194 copies
Poiesis Review #6 (2013) — Illustrator — 1 copy

Tagged

adventure (7) animals (12) art (10) boats (13) bugs (10) Canadian author (8) children (7) children's (23) children's books (10) children's fiction (7) children's literature (12) clouds (9) community (19) death (13) dreams (17) family (9) fantasy (35) fiction (31) friendship (16) garden (10) gardening (28) gardens (10) Grade 3 (7) grandparents (11) grief (13) illustrated (16) imagination (39) insects (17) loss (10) nature (9) night (12) ocean (17) pets (15) picture book (150) sharing (14) spiders (8) teamwork (8) to-read (43) topiary (18) trees (20)

Common Knowledge

Members

Reviews

The text and illustrations carry the reader away into a fantasy world and suspenseful story that celebrates uniqueness and freedom. Barnabus lives in a bell jar deep in a lab with other “failed” perfect pet projects. Barnabus wonders about the world outside his jar and once he realizes he may be “recycled” into a perfect pet, he worries about losing his uniqueness and just wants to be himself. So, he decides it's time for an escape. With his little trunk and help from others, Barnabus and the “failed” pets set out to find freedom where they are accepted for who they are.

While some reviews suggested this book was too dark, I found the illustrations to compliment the surreal/fantasy feel of the setting. Give children some credit, not all readers may understand the message with one read, but this is a book is to be read again and again.
… (more)
 
Flagged
AnnesLibrary | 12 other reviews | Jan 28, 2024 |
I thought this sweet and whimsical picture book offers an interesting perspective -- to look at an everyday object from a bug's point of view. Another review noted that most of the bugs are male except the ladybug and luna moth - I noted that as well while reading. I am also not sure about the anti-capitalist message (with the greedy spider) thrown in, but I did enjoy the introduction of "new" objects to the story. The illustrations are great - I enjoyed the use of color versus black & white illustrations.… (more)
 
Flagged
AnnesLibrary | 5 other reviews | Jan 28, 2024 |
A story that teaches the meaning of the old adage, "If you love someone, let them go." A little girl buys a sort of pet cloud. She takes good care of the cloud and it outgrows her bedroom. Instead of keeping it cooped up and unhappy, she releases it into the big sky.
 
Flagged
LibrarianDest | 2 other reviews | Jan 3, 2024 |
I've never read a book written and illustrated by the Fan Brothers. It is difficult to choose which is my favorite, but this one is at the top.

Young Finn misses his grandfather. Remembering that he told Finn about "a magical place where the ocean meets the sky, where whales and jellyfish soar and birds and castles float," Finn decides to build a boat. Tired after his accomplishment, he falls asleep and dreams of the place that his grandfather so lovingly portrayed.

It would have been his grandfather's 90th birthday. Dreaming of the place his grandfather so lovingly portrayed, Finn dreams of what was planned. As a great golden fish shows the way, the journey is beyond his dreams could portray.

I confess that the Fan Brothers are by far my favorite illustrators. It is difficult to find other books as beautiful. The depth of their artistry canot be beat. Every book is magical and special.

I highly recommend readers to open one of their magical books and to spend time as you are transported to a journey of sheer beauty beyond words.
… (more)
 
Flagged
Whisper1 | 19 other reviews | Oct 29, 2023 |

Lists

Awards

You May Also Like

Associated Authors

Statistics

Works
7
Also by
8
Members
1,468
Popularity
#17,499
Rating
4.2
Reviews
73
ISBNs
47
Languages
6

Charts & Graphs