Hometown

Shaun Tan and I Discuss His Most Brilliant Book Since The Arrival

When people ask me what my favorite children’s book is, there’s no right answer. Do I select a book that I loved when I was a kid myself? Something my own kids adored? Do I name a book that I think is the most successful book for children or the book I think is the best for them? In the end, I’ll probably just give the answer I always give when people ask.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

I’m not going to justify this answer. I don’t have to. A single reading of the book and you’ll come to the same conclusion. A framed poster of the book hangs in my living room. I think about it all the time in terms of world building and wordless visual storytelling. It is, to my mind, both my favorite book and one of the greatest works of literature for any age in my lifetime.

Shaun Tan has, of course, gone on to do other books as well. Some have been jaw-droppingly beautiful and others more than a tad odd. Yet it wasn’t until 2026 rolled around that he presented the world with a book that does something I never thought I would see. He has written a book that comes close to rivaling The Arrival.

Hometown (out September 15th) is a fiery, feminist tale of a girl figuring out her place in the world. Or, as Levine Querido describes it:

“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 . . . 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. A perfect companion to The Arrival.”

Intrigued? Want to hear Shaun talk about the book himself? We’re in conversation about it here. And yes. He’s a brilliant speaker.