I thought this was an appropriate beginning to my blog.  I first ‘read’ this book at university in a children’s literature class and was blown away by how beautiful the artwork was and how it challenged my preconceptions of traditional storytelling.

There are NO words in this book. The storytelling is done solely through pictures.

This book tells the immigrant story of a man who leaves his family behind in the hopes of creating a better future for them in a far off land. Frame by frame the reader journeys with the nameless man to the new land and sees him struggling to adapt to his new home.

Tan conveys the humanity of the immigrant story through his illustrations. The artwork is hauntingly beautiful and evokes powerful emotions. The book does a wonderful job of letting the reader see through the eyes of an immigrant in a new and foreign land where everything is strange and different. This is a must have book for any collection and can be read and enjoyed by readers of all ages.