Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan

Who's ready for some fun? Have I got the book for you:

Talking water buffalo? Check.

A tiny visitor who lives in your pantry? Check.

Backyards filled with brightly colored missiles painted like lawn furniture? Check.

If you ever want to take a break from reality and float among the clouds, imagining the impossible and enjoying the view, Shaun Tan's Tales from Outer Suburbia is the book for you. A collection of short stories that are set in the suburbs of an Australian town, these delightful snapshots start anchored in reality but quickly veer off into the fanciful – and delightfully so. From tales of sea creatures appearing in landlocked front lawns to magical reindeer to secret rooms to deep-sea divers, this collection is both weird and wonderful.

The author's choice to set each of these short stories in his native Australian suburbs works beautifully – the juxtaposition of the ordinary with the fantastical allows the more impossible elements to really shine. While there is no continuity or relationship between stories, each has its own message hidden within: the importance of treating animals kindly, learning to find the good in whatever situation life gives you, or that relationships are more about hard work than finding “the one.” School Library Journal agrees: “Tan works his magic with a few well-chosen words and a vibrant and expansive artistic vision, inviting readers to observe and explore familiar landscapes and look for untold stories beyond the obvious” (Davey 2009).

While the writing is clear and precise, Tales from Outer Suburbia really shines in its illustrations. Horn Book Magazine even goes so far as to say “the real story here is the pictures. Some display the somber polish of the Arrival vignettes, others are full-color, full-page fantasies; each one has more than enough power to seduce the browser into looking closely into its mysteries” (Horn Book Magazine 2009). The author/illustrator adjusts both his style and his choice of media to fit each short story, with illustrations ranging from highly detailed, graphite drawings to oil paintings with a more abstract feel. In some stories, the illustrations do almost all of the storytelling, with several stories that have 4-page spreads of wordless illustrations that tell the tale through art. The juxtaposition of reality and fantasy is particularly apparent in the artwork. For example, the title page shows a woman in a rowboat, rowing down an otherwise ordinary suburban street (without any water, I might add).

When sharing this story with children, the author's website (http://www.shauntan.net/about.html) has wonderful descriptions of the backstory and inspiration behind each tale in the collection, told by the author himself. A good companion piece to this book is another of Shaun Tan's works, The Arrival. This book without words is a migrant story that won the 2008 ALA Notable Books for Children, 2008 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Winner, and the 2008 ALA Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

Though somewhat disjointed, the sheer beauty of the illustrations and strange wonderfulness of the stories makes Tales from Outer Suburbia a welcome opportunity to suspend reality and enjoy asking “What if...?” I give this short story collection two paws up!

Wags & Woofs,

Charlie Brown

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References

Davey, Douglas D. “Tales from Outer Suburbia.” School Library Journal 55 (2009).

“Tales from Outer Suburbia.” Horn Book Magazine 85, no. 2: 205-206.

Tan, Shaun. 2009. Tales from Outer Suburbia. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books.