Shaun Tan
This novel tells the story of a man and his family as they immigrate to a new country to start over again after war destroys their home. It’s a beautiful story with beautiful illustrations–I loved every second of it. Just to warn you, this is a graphic novel without any words. If that bothers you, I wouldn’t suggest picking it up. I’m not a fan of wordless graphic novels, but this one blew me away. I was ready to give it a bad review but the artwork is so spectacular that it really does suck you into the story (which was such a great one to read).
Any language used in the book is completely made up, and the new country’s world is so inventive that it makes the reader feel very much like an immigrant. I had no idea where anything was, how anything worked or what anything was called. I think this is the best part of reading this story. The reader is on the same level as the main character, and that brings out a real sense of sympathy.
If you have a half hour to spare, I’d grab a copy of this gorgeous graphic novel. It’s something you’ll want to read over and over again.