The Arrival by Shaun Tan is the story of an immigrant told through a series of wordless images that emulate the style of a 1930's Depression-era photograph. A man is forced to leave his wife and child in an impoverished town in order to seek better prospects in an unknown country on the other side of a vast ocean. The story follows the man's experiences and struggles as he eventually finds himself in a bewildering city of foreign customs, strange animals, odd floating objects, and incomprehensible languages. These fantastical aspects allow the reader to truly connect with the character's isolation, not to mention the many other feelings that are brought about by this change.
The Arrival has so far won the "Book of the Year" prize as part of the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards in 2006, as well as the Children's Book Council of Australia "Picture Book of the Year" award in 2007.
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