The Arrival

I read The Arrival by Shaun Tan for my graphic novel class. Written entirely in pictures (no words), this book shows a man leaving his wife and daughter to immigrate to a new country. As he repeatedly faces the unfamiliar, he meets helpful people along the way who each faced difficult times in their pasts as well and share their experiences. With the use of an invented alphabet and unfamiliar locations and animals, the author/illustrator portrays settings that could represent any location.

This was such a great book! At the beginning, I was kind of confused and worried I was missing something because I kept seeing fantastical creatures and settings and didn't really understand. But as I kept reading, I understood what the author was trying to portray. The illustrations really articulated the feelings of immigrants and showed the goodness of people in taking care of each other. I really related to this book because it brought out the feelings I felt when we lived in Japan--just the feeling of being in a new, unfamiliar place where everything is different and confusing. Even though this is listed as a young adult book, I think it's one my 10-year-old daughter could read and understand.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)