A few words for a book without

Nothing to yell about today, just praise for a fine composition.

Shaun Tan is a sneaky story-teller. Based on the cover, one might think that The Arrival is about some strange creature entering human existence and causing mayhem. Close! It's about humans entering human existence and being totally clueless, also known as the story of every immigrant.

Excuse me, which way to scare the crap out of you?

Without words, Tan creates a surreal, bizarre-yet-gorgeous world that is just as cryptic to the story's protagonist as it is to readers. Impossible architecture, massive flocks of unknown creatures, people rushing to balloon transports, unreadable glyphs everywhere...I want to visit this magical land. But first, I want to speak the language.

Anyone who reads (views?) this book will have insight into the difficulties of the immigrant experience, and the varying motivations for people to up and move (or flee) to a new part of the world. There is hope laced with uncertainty, longing mixed with adaptation, and an overall wonder at the marvels of Tan's creation within the intertwining stories of people who help one another get by.

Dude, I'm tripping balls. 

THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO WITH THIS BOOK IN SCHOOL

-Have struggling writers create narratives based on parts of this book.
-Practice writing from a specific perspective.
-Study how pictures can tell a story as well as words.
-Practice public speaking by verbally narrating portions of the story
-Students create a spoken language for the graphic representations in the new world.
-Pair with social studies curriculum on immigration to America, of any time period.
-Relate a time in their own lives when they felt a similar sense of confusion and isolation
-Learn how the illustrations were created and try their hand at it
-Create a fictional culture that'll throw a newbie for a loop and present to the class
-Set up the classroom with signs in another language (with some visuals) and see who can decipher the directions
**LITERARY TERMS ALERT**
-Use with language arts instruction on foreshadowing, symbolism, motifs

I could go on and on, but I won't for the safety of my readers, all three of you. Suffice to say, The Arrival is the most useful YA book I've read in 2013, and I'll use it a lot in the coming years. Poignant and Moving without resorting to shmaltz and smarm. Love it.

NEXT TIME, I YELL ABOUT 

a brief stop for another frigging book set in WWII, and then it's off the Clique Town, USA for an examination of high school caste systems. Let's just say I'm going to scratch this seven year bitch!

BORING STUFF

The Arrival

Shaun Tan

2007 Arthur A Levine Books

Artist Website (not boring)