"The Arrival" by Shaun Tan

I've just received my copy of Shaun Tan's new book, "The Arrival," and the first read-through had me gaping in awe. After the usual 32 page children's books he's done, "The Arrival" is 128 pages of gorgeous completely text-free illustrations. It reads as a sequential graphic novel, with the illustrations structured on each page through multiple panels with as much as 30 panels on a page up to full two-page spreads.

The story and subject matter combine his imaginative style and with realism, in a setting that is aged and nostalgic. The antique photograph design explores a different way to use the collage elements typically found in his books. The illustrations are all monochromatic pencil on paper, drawn with warm detail and value control. He had to have been crazy to do this book, but I'm loving every bit of it.