THE
ARRIVAL conjures up images of immigrants standing in line at Ellis
Island, filled with hope and awe at this country and the potential
that awaits. But that picture is filtered through the lens of
fantasy and magic in Shaun Tan’s delightful wordless
story.

THE ARRIVAL works on so many levels that it’s hard to peg it
to just one. Perhaps at its heart it is a children’s tale, an
illustrated epic easy to follow along in pictures. But the idea of
loss --- from the opening montage of a man leaving his family
behind while he goes off in search of something new in a foreign
land --- and the emotion behind it will resonate more with adults.
Tan, whose previous works include the excellent THE RED TREE and
THE LOST THING, gives life to his protagonist’s fears and
trepidations through a rich symbolism invented in the artwork:
shadows, lettering, strange creatures. What it all means adds up to
the fear of the unknown every stranger in a strange land faces.
What lies around any given corner may be amazing opportunity or
danger…and there’s no way to find out until you make
the journey.

That kind of uncertainty is depicted in the odd-looking little
creature who greets the protagonist in this new land (shown on the
cover). Is it a friendly type of dog or some vicious animal?

Tan’s gift for creating shading and depth gives each image a
lush, 3D quality, and he even creates playful, moving connotations
by arranging the panels of the book’s opening like a photo
album, complete with slightly rounded corners. They look almost
taped into place. The reader reminisces about generations gone by,
parents, grandparents, or even further back into history, to think
of the many heartbreaking ways people leave their families behind
in search of a new life and an opportunity to create a new family
elsewhere.

Every one of Tan’s images is a story unto itself, so words
are hardly necessary here. What would they add to, say, the
delicate rendering of the young girl regarding the
protagonist’s suitcase on the morning he is about to leave?
The picture alone conveys everything that needs to be said.

THE ARRIVAL is one of those works that withstands repeated readings
well. There’s always something new or unexpected to be
encountered, something you missed the last time around. It never
loses that sense of magic and wonder, either.