The Arrival

Don't you love to find something truly fantastic before all the critics tell you it's fantastic? Not too long ago I was visiting our neighborhood bookstore with my daughter and my friend and I were perusing the teen books when I noticed a tall, thin hardcovered book called The Arrival by Shaun Tan. I opened it up and didn't move until I was through it. There is not a single word in this book but it tells the familiar story of a man who has to leave his family and move to a new country to make a living. The wonderful thing about this book is that you really understand what it feels like to arrive in a new place where everything is foreign to you.
In this book, when the man arrives at his destination, he is confronted with fantastic and unfamiliar animals and architecture. Even the words are in an alphabet totally unfamiliar to him (and us). All through the story he meets people who are helpful even though they can't speak his language. Eventually he is able to find a place to live and a job and in the end he brings his family to his new country. The story goes full circle when he helps another new arrival.
You can find this book in our graphic novel section.
My rating for this book: +++++