The Arrival - by Shaun Tan (Paperback)

About the Book

In this wordless graphic novel, Tan captures the struggles and joy of the immigrant experience through clear, mesmerizing images which tell the story of a man who leaves his homeland and his family to build a better life. Young adult.

Book Synopsis

"A masterpiece." -- Jeff Kinney, author of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid seriesNow in paperback, a groundbreaking, multi-award-winning modern classic from one of the world's most acclaimed artists.

"Tan's lovingly laid out and masterfully rendered tale about the immigrant experience is a documentary magically told." -- Art Spiegelman, author of Maus

A man leaves his wife and child in an impoverished town, seeking better prospects in an unknown country on the other side of a vast ocean. He finds himself in a bewildering city of unfamiliar customs, peculiar animals, curious floating objects, and indecipherable languages. He is helped along the way by sympathetic strangers, each carrying their own unspoken history: stories of struggle and survival in a world of incomprehensible violence, upheaval, and hope.

Told as a series of extraordinary wordless images, The Arrival is a modern classic sure to resonate with readers of all ages.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Arrival:

"An absolute wonder." -- Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis

"A magical river of strangers and their stories!" -- Craig Thompson, author of Blankets

"A shockingly imaginative graphic novel that captures the sense of adventure and wonder that surrounds a new arrival on the shores of a shining new city. Wordless, but with perfect narrative flow, Tan gives us a story filled with cityscapes worthy of Winsor McCay." -- Jeff Smith, author of Bone

"Shaun Tan's artwork creates a fantastical, hauntingly familiar atmosphere... Strange, moving, and beautiful." -- Jon J. Muth, Caldecott Medal-winning author of Zen Shorts

"Bravo." -- Brian Selznick, Caldecott Medal-winning author of The Invention of Hugo Cabret

"Magnificent." -- David Small, Caldecott Medalist

"Astonishing." -- The Washington Post

"A wordless tour de force." -- Time Out New York Kids

"Mesmerizing." -- The New York Times Book Review

* "An unashamed paean to the immigrant's spirit, tenacity and guts, perfectly crafted for maximum effect." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "A silent, fantastical masterpiece." -- Booklist, starred review

* "Few will remain unaffected by this timeless stunner." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

A New York Times Best Illustrated Book

An ALA Top Ten Great Graphic Novel for Teens

A Publishers Weekly Best Book

New York Magazine's Top Comic Book

About the Author

Shaun Tan is the New York Times bestselling author of The Arrival, Tales from Outer Suburbia, Tales from the Inner City, Rules of Summer, and The Singing Bones. He received the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2011 and won an Academy Award for the adaptation of his picture book The Lost Thing (from Lost & Found: Three by Shaun Tan). Shaun lives in Melbourne, Australia.