This book should be 'read' by adults and children alike. Kirkus Reviews (USA)Ī remarkable and skilful work of art - The Sunday Times (UK) Booklist (USA)Īn unashamed paean to the immigrant's spirit, tenacity and guts, perfectly crafted for maximum effect.

Tan uses a combination of small and large panels, as he alternates between utilizing both sequences of illustrations and full page illustrations. Set in color tones of sepia, brown, and gold, the illustrations presented meet the appearance of realism, a realistic art style. The Times (UK)įilled with both subtlety and grandeur, the book is a unique work that not only fulfils but also expands the potential of its form. The novel opens as an entirely wordless graphic narrative. The Monthly (Australia)Īn imaginative triumph, and every home should have one. It is a magnificent and timely story of hope and persistence: deeply moving, disturbing and, at the same time, infused with quiet joy and a grand, buoyant openness to experience. His unique ability to capture the heart and soul of a story through images more than proves the truth of the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. The cover of The Arrival, made to look like old, worn leather, establishes a family photo album motif that Tan faithfully carries through the entire book. A unique 128-page, textless graphic novel, in black, white and sepia, The Arrival draws its inspiration from tales of migrants in past and recent times.

few will remain unaffected by this timeless stunner. finds in the graphic novel format an ideal outlet for his sublime imagination. One way or another, we are familiar with one or two of the stories in this picture book possibly that we knew someone with a similar story, or maybe our ancestors used to be immigrants also back then. With this haunting, wordless sequence about a lonely emigrant in a bewildering city, Tan. The Arrival is a worthy piece of graphic novel to check out because of its compelling story and captivating drawings.

The arrival picture book