The Arrival
by Shaun Tan
Graphic-Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Picture-Books, Fiction, Young-Adult, Art
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.
Recommendations from Common Sense Media
Age Recommendation: 9+
What Parents Need to Know:
Parents need to know that The Arrival is a wordless graphic novel that tells the story of an immigrant who leaves his troubled country to make a life in a new country. The realistic, sepia-toned illustrations are beautiful and expressive, yet the story can be a little hard to follow, making it best for middle elementary school kids and older.
Violence & Scariness: 3/5
Some images of people running from monsters. Pictures of war include skeletons, an amputee, and shattered homes.
Sex, Romance & Nudity: n/a
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Language: n/a
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Products & Purchases: n/a
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking: 3/5
Cigarettes pictured.
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