Selected by a distinguished independent panel of experts including our editorial expert, Julia Eccleshare, for Diverse Voices - 50 of the best Children's Books celebrating cultural diversity in the UK.
The Arrival has become one of the most critically acclaimed books of recent years, a wordless masterpiece that describes a world beyond any familiar time or place.
What drives so many to leave everything behind and journey alone to a mysterious country, a place without family or friends, where everything is nameless and the future is unknown.
What drives so many to leave everything behind and journey alone to a mysterious country, a place without family or friends, where everything is nameless and the future is unknown.
This silent graphic novel is the story of every migrant, every refugee, every displaced person, and a tribute to all those who have made the journey.
Sited as No 35 in The Times 100 Best Books of all time. Read more about The Arrival at www.thearrival.com.au
An imaginative triumph. Every home should have one. - The Times
It will fascinate and occupy adults and children alike. - The Observer
Author
About Shaun Tan
Shaun Tan grew up in Perth and works as an artist, writer and film-maker in Melbourne, best known for illustrated books that deal with social, political and historical subjects through dream-like imagery. The Rabbits, The Red Tree, Tales from Outer Suburbia and the graphic novel The Arrival have been widely translated throughout the world and enjoyed by readers of all ages. Shaun has also worked as a theatre designer, a concept artist for Pixar and won an Academy Award for the short animated film The Lost Thing. In 2011 he received the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in Sweden, in recognition of his services to literature for young people. His most recent books are Rules of Summer and The Singing Bones.
Shaun Tan on himself and Eric:
"Drawing a good picture is like telling a really good lie – the key is in the incidental detail," says Shaun Tan. (interview with Guardian Online, 2009)
“A recurring theme in my sketchbook are characters carrying a suitcase. I’m not sure why. Sometimes it arises because I’ve drawn a character and they look silly standing there without anything in their hands, so I’ll often add a suitcase or a box. This constantly suggested a story. The story ‘Eric’ in Tales from Outer Suburbia was suggested by a similar drawing of a little character with a pointy head and the word Eric written underneath.
I do rarely give names. 'Eric' is an exception, but even then the name is a substitute for something we can’t hear or pronounce properly, so we never know his real name.” (interview with Write Away, 2009)
What drives so many to leave everything behind and journey alone to a mysterious country, a place without family or friends, where everything is nameless and the future is unknown. This silent graphic novel is the story of every migrant, every refugee, every displaced person, and a tribute to all those who have made the journey.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Arrival and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
The Arrival features in the following genres: Featured Books for 11+ readers, Recommendations, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Stories about Family and Friends, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Featured Books for 9+ readers
Paperback, Hardback. Not Available.
The Arrival was written by Shaun Tan and published by Arthur A. Levine
