Parents' Guide to

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

By Matt Berman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Spectacular cinematic book has lots of heart.

Book Brian Selznick Historical Fiction 2007
The Invention of Hugo Cabret Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

See all
age 7+

Based on 14 parent reviews

m_and_d_in_fl
m_and_d_in_fl Adult
December 13, 2011
age 5+

AudioBook version is a "must-hear" for whole family

We checked out from the library the AudioBook of Hugo and listened to it as a family when on a roadtrip. It was enthralling. Since the pictures play such a part in the written book, Brian Selznick made sure that the AudioBook had sound effects to "explain" the drawings. My 5 & 7 yr olds were captivated and my husband and I didn't want to get out of the car at our destinations since that would mean turning off the story.
Lebron12James3
Lebron12James3 Parent
May 6, 2022
age 2+

Avengers: Infinity War

See all 14 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When Hugo's father, a clockmaker, is killed in a fire, Hugo is taken in by his uncle. They live together in a hidden room inside the walls of the Paris train station, where it's the uncle's job to maintain the station clocks -- until one night he disappears. Now Hugo is alone, still living inside the station walls, stealing to survive, and maintaining the clocks so no one will know his uncle is gone.

Hugo also works on an automaton, a mechanical man, that his father was trying to restore. He steals parts from a toy shop in the station. When he's caught, the mean store owner takes away his father's notebook and threatens him with arrest. But the old man's hidden past and Hugo's are intertwined, and the secret message hidden in the automaton's workings is only the beginning.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (14 ):
Kids say (38 ):

THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET is like nothing you've seen before. When you or your child first pick it up, it looks like one of those fat fantasies that are so popular these days. When you open it, it seems similar to a graphic novel. But lengthy sections of wordless illustrations (284 pages of drawings) are interspersed with pages of more traditional prose. But neither text nor pictures can stand without the other.

Brian Selznick's brilliant hybrid is put in service of a complex and heartfelt story that involves a plucky orphan, the history of early cinema, the mechanics of clocks and other intricate machinery, and a little bit of magic. The whole is a work of great beauty and excitement, with breathless pacing ramped up even further by the wordless sections. Selznick has created an entirely new art form that succeeds as art, literature, and entertainment.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about wordless stories. How does a story told in pictures differ from a conventional book? Is it as easy to follow? Is it more fun in some ways?

  • How can an automaton be made to write poems and draw pictures? How does an automaton work?

  • What did you learn from this book about how the earliest movies were made?

  • Kids may want to see the films referred to in this story. Consider seeking them out for further viewing.

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended book lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate