Hometown by Shaun Tan

When I saw this cover, I was intrigued. Today's read is a science fiction book for the upper middle grade audience, and telling by the artwork, it's going to take a different direction. This is a graphic novel, and from what I'm gathering by reading the blurb, it's about a girl, who enjoys a wonderful life, but then, someone falls from the sky and claims she doesn't belong. I'm wondering which direction this will take and have a feeling it will slide in a very artistic one. 

So, let's lean back and see if this is one to be enjoyed or not.

HOMETOWN

by Shaun Tan

Levine Querido

Upper Middle Grade Science Fiction

Graphic Novel

74 pages

ages 10 to 14

COMING SEPTEMBER 15th!!!

A girl grows up happily with her adoptive parents, a big sister and a little sister, and friends galore in a vibrant, close-knit community she adores. That’s never been in question . . . until a creature from outer space falls from the sky and claims (correctly) that she looks more like him than any of the beings she knows and loves. He urges her to go back with him. She doesn’t belong here. Can he be . . . right? Shaun Tan’s masterpiece is a uniquely powerful, funny, and insightful exploration of identity, and what it means to be “home.”

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER 

MY TIDBITS

This book comes out of the hands of Shaun Tan and lets his art style mix with fantasy to hit a meaningful note.

A girl lives with her complete family and is surrounded by friends, neighbors, and more. All treasure her, and she adores them. One day, a strange creature falls from the sky. At first, neither she nor the others around her know what to do with it, but as it sheds its layers, she begins to see it in a new light...almost friendly. When his last layer drops, he claims that she is just like him and doesn't belong in this place. The similarities are also impossible to overlook. At one point, he insists that she accompany him back home. But how can a person return to home when they already have the best one possible?

First off, the artwork is amazing and makes this a book to pick up just to sink into the rich fantasy world. It is original and carries a hint of what reminds me of yokai and such, but these creatures carry a distinct direction all of their own. There are plenty of details as well, making each scene worth a longer gaze. The illustrations carry much of this read and work in tension, humor, and warmth even when the text is steering, in that moment, in a slightly different way. I'd almost throw this book into the category of art rather than a graphic novel thanks to the visual delights and balance with the tale. The plot isn't hurried and steers away from action. Rather, the depth sinks in as the question of home, family, and belonging lays itself out for deep digestion.

Fantasy and imagination soar in these pages and lead the reader into an amazing world. Even the stranger from the sky, while very familiar, comes across with a bit of awkwardness and oddity thanks to the reader being able to see him a bit through the girl's eyes. The read leaves plenty of food for thought and ends with a lovely sense of hope and possibility. While unique, it also carries a constant feel of warmth, and the author does a masterful job at embracing the odd creatures in the secure term of 'home'.