The Arrival

2009 Best List
By Shaun Tan http://www.shauntan.net/
Published Imprint Scholastic Inc, New York, 2006
ISBN 978-0-439-89529-3
Annotation
A wordless story told in graphic panels depicts a families travel through immigration. The representation of immigration done through imaginative and strange whimsical illustrations.
 Personal Reaction
Shaun Tan depicts emotion through whimsical spirals and encroaching dark shadows. The father must leave his family and rides a ship with many other immigrants to what looks like an Alice in Wonderland New York City. All of the possibilities are seen there, hope, friendship new connections. However, he is stamped, labeled, prodded and shuffled along. His fear is evident in the confusing shapes around him, the world is truly alien with flying ships and strange creatures. He finds someone he can talk with and she tells of her terrible job shoveling coal in a compartment. He finds a unfamiliar creature and it becomes his pet. He meets a friendly man and is welcome to dinner with his new friend's family. They laugh and eat and he is happy and at ease. He misses his wife and child and sends them money. An exquisite visual book which although abstract depict perfectly what it feels like to immigrate. The lack of words allows readers to understand through their own feelings the immigrant experience. This book forces readers to look at every picture or scene for meaning. The confusion of the reader in trying to figure out this novel's story mirrors the confusion of an immigrant in an unfamiliar land. It is not a historical piece or cultural, the characters seem to not have a certain country or race. This book is a must have in a multicultural community or a school or neighborhood with many immigrant families.

**Personification:Illustrations show the feeling of immigration through abstract scenes, the use of a unreadable made up language is illustrating the feeling of not knowing anything when moving to a new country.
Starred reviews:
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award special citation (2008)
Kirkus Reviews (September 1, 2007)
Publishers Weekly (July 16, 2007)
Booklist (September 1, 2007)
Kliatt (September, 2007)
School Library Journal (September, 2007)
Horn Book (November/December, 2007)
Horn Book Guide (Spring, 2008)