- Ages 3–7
The shape of it
The shape of this universe.
The Shape Trilogy is Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen's spare, clever picture-book sequence about Triangle, Square and Circle. The books look simple, but they are unusually slippery: tiny changes in expression, pauses, empty space and ambiguous endings do a lot of the storytelling. Across the trilogy, the shapes trick, misunderstand, create, worry, judge and forgive one another, giving young readers funny, elegant stories about friendship, identity, trust and moral uncertainty. It is a superb fit for families who enjoy picture books with restraint, wit and room for interpretation.
A beautifully minimal picture-book trilogy about Triangle, Square and Circle, full of dry humour, friendship and quietly tricky moral questions.
Primary themes
Tone palette
- Funny
- Whimsical
- Thought provoking
- Gentle
Cultural footprint
A shelf of evidence.
What The Shape Trilogy has done
- Major award winner
- Bestseller list
Cultural ubiquity
4/ 5Widely-known cultural fixture — just below household-name status.
Sensitivity
Low, and collection-wide.
About the creator