The Invention Of Hugo Cabret…These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

The Invention of Hugo Cabaret by Brian Selznick

1st Favorite Thing- The majority of the pages in this book are drawings.

2nd Favorite Thing- The drawings and the words in the story are all done by the same person, Brian Selznick. The drawings and the words build on each other to tell a beautiful story.

3rd Favorite Thing- The drawings are incredibly elaborate and yet still approachable. The drawings could be framed as art, and at the same time are appealing to young readers.

4th Favorite Thing- The character of Hugo Cabret is so relatable. Hugo reminds me a little bit of Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The reader empathizes with Charlie and Hugo because at times in the books it feels like the world is against them, but both characters persevere and they triumph over adversity in the end.

Drawing of Hugo

5th Favorite Thing- This story is based on events from George Melies life (a filmmaker who was an important part of early cinema). This book could be used in a variety of different ways in the classroom (i.e. a film class, an art class, and/or a language arts class). I think an argument could even be made for reading this as part of a science class because of the parts of the books that focus on things like gears and early robots.

A picture in the book from Melies silent film A Trip to the Moon