All of the emotion is communicated through images. Complex language and a range of human emotion is communicated without the use of text, and is a real achievement. We feel the man's anguish at separation from his family, we sense the man's confusion and wonder in the new land and feel the full horror of the experiences of other recent arrivals as they narrate their stories to the man.
Close examination of the images reveals much.
The beauty of the book's presentation is rivalled by the heart-rending story within its glossy pages. The book has a hard cover that resembles an old photo album, a golden sash as a book mark and lovely sepia toned images to go with the charcoal drawings. The Arrival is a beautifully presented book on large glossy paper. This is apparent with Shaun Tan's consistent use of nine and twelve panel sequence of pictures on a single page, a technique more akin to graphic novels than to picture books. The Arrival is less a picture book and more a true graphic novel. The effect is similar to watching a silent era black and white movie. The story is generated and propelled by the lush illustrations. The opening chapter features a range of exquisitely drawn illustrations about a man who leaves behind his young family, to go on a long journey across the ocean.The man's goal is to create a new life for his small family in a distant land. The cover features the image of a man dressed in a crumpled suit, suitcase in hand, not unlike something out of a 1930's depression era photo, peering down at what appears to be a cross between a tadpole and a dog. Surely one of the more incongruenttitle pages for a children's book. The Arrival Review: The title and the front page hint at the story within.
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