The Arrival

Amazing Book!

In this wonderful tale about immigration to a new world, your imagination is instantly captured by the first picture. With stunning artwork and an intriguing storyline, this book is perfect for anyone who is looking for a fresh and unique book.

A book I'll keep on my shelf to open again and again

I saw The Arrival at my children's elementary library. At first I just flipped through the pages but was quickly drawn into the book. There are no words but hundreds of pencil drawn images, laid out like a graphic novel. But this is way more than a graphic novel. It tells a story of fear, escape, and rebuilding of a life, and a family. The content could be applied to so many different situations as a reader shares it with young and old alike. I mailed this book to France where my daughter is building a new life away from home and the securities she is used to having. She loved it as well. The settings within the pictures are without a specific time or place, and leave it open to your imagination. It would make a great gift for anyone moving or rebuilding their life!

Wonderful!

This book can be used in a variety of ways. Wordless books are a fantastic tool to use with students. Every page has a picture that someone can relate to. Don't miss looking at this book, it will provide you with a bunch of ideas of how to use it in a classroom.

Review of The Arrival

If someone had told me a year ago that I'd be branching out into graphic novels this year I would have laughed. I was first surprised by them when I began to read a Korean Manhwa named Goong. Then, just last week I fell in love with The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.

And then yesterday I picked up The Arrival by Shaun Tan and didn't put it down until I'd finished it.

Unlike Goong and Hugo Cabret, this book does not have words. Even the notes and signs are in a made-up language. The entire story is told in pictures - beautiful, sepia colored pictures. This is the story of a man leaving his family and his country behind (a country besot with terrors of its own) and finding a new place for them to live. It's a story of fear and hope, loss and gain, adventure and home.

There is one moment - one set of pictures in this book that made me choke up and tears filled my eyes. When the man arrives in the strange country and opens his suitcase, an image appears that made me think of opening my suitcase for the first time after leaving home. That scent, the memories all seem to collide and you picture your family right there , for a moment it's captured and then it fades and just the items remain.

At first I thought this might be science-fiction because there were so many strange elements. Alien looking creatures (as evidenced by the cover), strange methods of transportations.. and then as I got into the book I realized that the story being told here is how our country must look to those arriving in it. The sights, sounds, smells - everything assaulting our senses is different, new, amazing, thrilling and terrifying. Shaun Tan captured that so well in this book and through a story of pictures managed to tell a more captivating immigration story then I've ever actually read through written word.

Land at the Destination

Stunningly illustrated I was awestruck by Tan's artistic ability. Immediately taken by the beauty of the story he'd presented I'd say my favorite pieces were those that showed the other-worldy almost ethereal feel of the locale. A land of sweeping loveliness the buildings and creatures that comprised it's inhabitants weren't to be feared but rather adored. Which is exactly what I did.

Not to be outdone, the story Tan wrote in accompaniment is wonderful as well. I could feel the emotions so clearly displayed on the young father's face. From the trepidation of leaving his family behind to the jubilation of their arrival to meet with him in a new land I felt every beat he did. Traveling from the safety and security of his home and family into the unknown abyss of a new life the loneliness jumped off the page as the man searched for a job and made new acquaintances.

Though I've not had much experience with this genre, I imagine that this is what any great graphic novel should do. Move the reader to feel and experience. If this is the case than Tan has certainly done so with The Arrival.

All in all, I'm excited to have been introduced to the world of graphic novels in such an exemplary way. I'm looking forward to not only reading more of Tan's work but also other authors as well. I would encourage all to pick up this wonderful book and place it out for everyone to see.

This is a picture book

I bought this book for my son's English class. It's no wards and all pictures. I think teacher must be ask student to write about the pictures.

A Book for All Ages

Shaun Tan's book The Arrival is a fantastic read. The story is told entirely through pictures, and it invites discussion, questions, and exploration from readers of all ages and backgrounds.

Beautiful book!

very sweet story told in pictures... beautiful art! great gift to kids & adults!!

Seriously Amazing

Amazing. An immigrant story with humanity at it's best. Despite the silly cover, I'd recommend buying this to anyone. The illustrations are, in both look and pacing, like a silent film. Highly recommended.

never puts down a book

when i came across this book i read it like three times front to back i would highly recommend to anyone in a snap

You don't need words to tell a story

I was rather taken aback when I discovered this book. After flipping through the first few pages, I discovered that there were no words. The book instead relies heavily on the artwork and weaves an intricate and moving story. I definitely need to reread it to catch more of the subtleties, and I would whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone in search of a good read.

Innovative and Outstanding

The Arrival is different, in a spectacular way. The artwork is beautiful and the story is simple but memorable. This book proves that a good enough story doesn't need words to be told. The illustrations are full of magic and that somewhat familiar unfamiliar feeling. I am going to complain if this book doesn't win a major award.

A reviewer

'Arrival' is not for the parent who wants to dump their child in front of an easy-reader. It's also not just a 'graphic book'. Open any page and feast on the sepia-toned art. Cuddle up on the couch, open any page and tell a new story together. Or start at the beginning and visualize a saga of the odyssey of arriving in a new world. Always a fresh view, complex and satisfyingly interesting. This is the book you can come back to with your children, over and over, then send it with them when they're grown, to build their own family tradition of storytelling.

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