About This Book

In a heartbreaking parting, a man gives his wife and daughter a last kiss and boards a steamship to cross the ocean. He's embarking on the most painful yet important journey of his life — he's leaving home to build a better future for his family. Shaun Tan evokes universal aspects of an immigrant's experience through a singular work of the imagination. He does so using brilliantly clear and mesmerizing images. Because the main character can't communicate in words, the book forgoes them too. But while the reader experiences the main character's isolation, he also shares his ultimate joy. 

A New York Times Best Illustrated Book
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2007
A Book List Editors' Choice
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2007
A 2007 Parents' Choice Gold Award
A New York Public Library Best Book for Reading and Sharing

* "By flawlessly developing nuances of human feeling and establishing the enigmatic setting, he compassionately describes an immigrant's dilemma. Nearly all readers will be able to relate-either through personal or ancestral experience-to the difficulties of starting over, be it in another country, city, or community. And few will remain unaffected by this timeless stunner." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "The Arrival proves a beautiful, compelling piece of art, in both content and in form. Tan infuses this simple, universal narrative with vibrant, resonating life through confident mastery of sequential art forms and conventions." —Booklist, starred review

* "Young readers will be fascinated by the strange new world the artist creates, complete with floating elevators and unusual creatures, but may not realize the depth of meaning or understand what the man's journey symbolizes. More sophisticated readers, however, will grasp the sense of strangeness and find themselves participating in the man's experiences. They will linger over the details in the beautiful sepia pictures and will likely pick up the book to pore over it again and again." — School Library Journal, starred review

* "An astonishing wordless graphic novel blends historical imagery with science-fiction elements to depict brilliantly-the journey of an immigrant man from his terror-beset land of origin to a new, more peaceful home. It's an unashamed paean to the immigrant's spirit, tenacity and guts, perfectly crafted for maximum effect." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review