The Arrival is a marvelous graphic novel by Shaun Tan. It truly is a "graphic" novel, having no text whatsoever. It should have great appeal for teens, not only because of the format, but also because the pictures are so beautifully realized. It is an immigrant's story: a man living in a place haunted by the shadows of a dragon's tail packs his things, leaves his family, and takes an amazing journey to a new land. It is a totally foreign place -- to the reader as well as to the traveller -- with alien pets, foods, and language. Nothing is familiar, which is why this book is so incredibly seductive. We watch him make friends, learn to navigate his new environment, build a home in preparation for the arrival of the rest of the family. Even the "Ellis Island" part of his journey is documented in a series of evocative images.
If we think of images as another language, it is possible to forget the "but it's not really reading" message that is bound to come up, and explore the poignant story that these "mere" images can tell.
