5★



”The Arrival”



That's it - the only text in this extraordinary book. This is a story that needs no translation, art that speaks directly to the “reader”.



The inside front and back covers are completely filled with faces, easily identifiable if you happened to know any of the people (I didn’t) and representing migrants from all over the world, some looking something like you, perhaps.



Tan said that some faces were inspired by the photos from Ellis Island, NY, where so many migrants have entered t

That's it - the only text in this extraordinary book. This is a story that needs no translation, art that speaks directly to the “reader”.The inside front and back covers are completely filled with faces, easily identifiable if you happened to know any of the people (I didn’t) and representing migrants from all over the world, some looking something like you, perhaps.Tan said that some faces were inspired by the photos from Ellis Island, NY, where so many migrants have entered the US. He also said that one of the shipboard paintings was based on an 1886 Tom Roberts painting of migrants coming to Australia.Some pages are like comic strips, in that they have many pictures divided into rows. It is tempting to glance at the page and move on, but if you do, you will miss the story. Each little painting tells a specific part of the story. Other illustrations may cover a single page or even a double-page spread. They are fantastic!I will include a dozen or so illustrations to indicate the way the story is told, but I implore you to find a copy to read yourself. When I asked a daughter who teaches and works with refugee and new migrant children if she’d heard of it, she said quietly and a little condescendingly, “I HAVE it.”Say no more. Every school should have this. Every COUNCIL or local government should have this to explain to politicians what is happening in the world.Many of the illustrations are reminiscent of places we’re familiar with, but the specifics are very other-worldly and don’t translate to any particular city or country. There is a section with scenes of a massive jumble of migrants in one place, also inspired, the author says, by Ellis Island.Now, Father needs to find a place to stay. He had the foresight to bring a notebook with him, so he sketches a picture of a bed to indicate what he’s looking for.Note that the “writing” in the notebook doesn’t correspond to any languages that I’m aware of. We don’t know, or need to know, where this man comes from. He meets a pleasant fellow dressed in a very different costume, who shows him to a room. Note the unusual “pet” in the man’s backpack. This country is certainly very foreign to Father (and me).I don’t know if you can see Father’s little window, or not, but look for the little tail of the pet which is hanging out the window. As I said, this is a very different world.He makes a new friend and they begin to share their stories.The pets seem to be a kind of dog and cat, but the food is reminiscent only of eggplant and various squashes, I think. Not that there’s anything wrong with them!Here I will fast-forward. We have seen Father try a few jobs, one with difficulty because he doesn’t know the language and hangs posters upside down (how’s YOUR Chinese, eh?).But he’s saved up money, sent it home, and waits for his wife and daughter. They are “flying” in. Their transport is something like a Dr. Who phonebox hanging from a balloon.After they arrive, they sit down for a happy family meal.Later, the little girl takes the “dog” for a walk around her new neighbourhood and finds an even more recent arrival trying to figure out where she is.Full circle. What goes around, comes around. This is the most beautiful book. It’s all in muted sepia tones, giving it a very old look, which helps identify it as an old story. There are no colours to make you think of any particular country.People fleeing oppression, terror, war, and abject poverty deserve a chance. I wish everyone could read this and understand that this "old" story is actually current. I also wish it were possible to drop politicians into completely foreign environments with no money or language, just to see what it's like.Find a copy! You'll want to own one. It's 132 pages, large format.P.S. Many of the images are online if you google the title, author, and images. There is also a beautiful, 14-minute video version posted several years ago that teachers are using in classes. https://vimeo.com/74292820