LOAD21 The Arrival
This book is one that has really taught me empathy for immigrants and the challenges they face- I love it when a book teaches me something new or challenges the way I am thinking!
Journalling:
I love Shaun Tan’s books because I
love both his incredible art works and his quirky
stories. I brought ‘The Arrival’ having only just flicked through it. And then came home and settled in with it once the kids were in bed.
The Arrival is an essentially wordless story that documents the arrival of an immigrant into a foreign country. The manner in which the story is conveyed is sublime for evoking the feelings and thoughts of the main character a father of one who has set off ahead to start a new life for his family in a new place.
Shaun Tans art work is incredible. Incredible.
The sepia and monochrome images demand your attention and detailed study. The variation between full page spreads and panelled layouts which can have up to 30 images on the page help to convey the story and emotions of the main character. The detail is incredible and more of the story is discovered the more often you read it. There are hidden gems of humour and fear amongst the pages.
The only words in the story come from an invented language that the main character struggles to understand as he makes his way through the new land. This is one of the most compelling reminders of just how hard it can be for stranger in a foreign land.
Slowly he makes his way through the world encountering other refugees in the new land. Each recounts their own tale in the images of how they came to be there. I won’t say any more lest I ruin the story. The true gift of this story comes from the way that the reader must also decipher the land and it’s workings, creatures, food alongside the main character. Shaun Tan’s invented and surreal country is so unfamiliar that the reader ends up developing strong empathy for the stranger in the strange land- putting us in the same shoes as many immigrants. It’s not often that I find a story that makes me really think, hold my breath, gasp and sigh all at the same time.
LOAD21 The Arrival
This book is one that has really taught me empathy for immigrants and the challenges they face- I love it when a book teaches me something new or challenges the way I am thinking!
Journalling:
I love Shaun Tan’s books because I
love both his incredible art works and his quirky
stories. I brought ‘The Arrival’ having only just flicked through it. And then came home and settled in with it once the kids were in bed.
The Arrival is an essentially wordless story that documents the arrival of an immigrant into a foreign country. The manner in which the story is conveyed is sublime for evoking the feelings and thoughts of the main character a father of one who has set off ahead to start a new life for his family in a new place.
Shaun Tans art work is incredible. Incredible.
The sepia and monochrome images demand your attention and detailed study. The variation between full page spreads and panelled layouts which can have up to 30 images on the page help to convey the story and emotions of the main character. The detail is incredible and more of the story is discovered the more often you read it. There are hidden gems of humour and fear amongst the pages.
The only words in the story come from an invented language that the main character struggles to understand as he makes his way through the new land. This is one of the most compelling reminders of just how hard it can be for stranger in a foreign land.
Slowly he makes his way through the world encountering other refugees in the new land. Each recounts their own tale in the images of how they came to be there. I won’t say any more lest I ruin the story. The true gift of this story comes from the way that the reader must also decipher the land and it’s workings, creatures, food alongside the main character. Shaun Tan’s invented and surreal country is so unfamiliar that the reader ends up developing strong empathy for the stranger in the strange land- putting us in the same shoes as many immigrants. It’s not often that I find a story that makes me really think, hold my breath, gasp and sigh all at the same time.