Tales From Other Suburbia

Bibliography:

Tan, Shaun. 2009. TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA. Arthur A. Levine Books. ISBN: 0545055873

Plot Summary:

 A collection of tales that contain breathtaking illustrations that add to each story. It is a text full of emotions that captivate you as you explore the strangeness of our existence. An exchange student who’s an alien, a secret room that is a great place to escape to, and the exaggerated tales a grandfather shares, about the odd everyday life is just the beginning of a text-filled art book of thought-provoking stories.

Critical Analysis:

A collection of 15 short fantasy tales that combine Tan’s illustration and unique writing to tell the story of an exchange student who’s an alien. He uses his writing at times to flow within his illustrations to create that surrealism.  A book of heartfelt, sad, and at times nostalgic stories that kids and adults will love too. This book is interesting and different from most books I have read, and I find that to be exciting. It did have some odd stories in my opinion, but I can see how using them in class would get students to use their creativity and imagination. Tales From Outer Suburbia is more than an art book yet art is what helps it all come to life.

Review Awards and Excerpt(s):

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 4 Up—For those who loved Tan's surreal and evocative The Arrival (Scholastic, 2007), the Australian author follows up with a brilliant collection of illustrated vignettes. Fifteen short texts, each accompanied by Tan's signature black-and-white and full-color artwork, take the mundane world and transform it into a place of magical wonders. In the opening tale, a water buffalo sits in an abandoned suburban lot, offering silent but wise direction to those youngsters who are patient enough to follow his guidance. In "Eric," the title character (a tiny, leaflike creature) visits a family as a foreign exchange student and fascinates them with his sense of wonder. His parting gift to the family is sure to warm even the coldest heart. Other stories describe the fate of unread poetry, the presence of silent stick figures who roam the suburbs, or an expedition to the edge of a map. In spirit, these stories are something akin to the wit and wisdom of Shel Silverstein. The surrealist art of Rene Magritte also comes to mind, but perhaps Chris Van Allsburg's beloved The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (Houghton, 1984) comes closest as a comparable work. While somewhat hard to place due to the unusual nature of the piece, this book is a small treasure, or, rather, a collection of treasures.—Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Library, Ontario, Canada
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* After teaching the graphic format a thing or two about its own potential for elegance with The Arrival (2007), Tan follows up with this array of 15 extraordinary illustrated tales. But here is an achievement in diametric opposition to his silent masterpiece, as Tan combines spare words and weirdly dazzling images—in styles ranging from painting to doodles to collage—to create a unity that holds complexities of emotion seldom found in even the most mature works. The story of a water buffalo who sits in a vacant lot mysteriously pointing children “in the right direction” is whimsical but also ominous. The centerpiece, “Grandpa’s Story,” recalling a ceremonial marriage journey and the unnameable perils faced therein, captures a tone of aching melancholy and longing, but also, ultimately, a sense of deep, deep happiness. And the eerie “Stick Figures” is both a poignant and rather disturbing narrative that plays out in the washed-out daylight of suburban streets where curious, tortured creatures wait at the ends of pathways and behind bus stops. The thoughtful and engaged reader will take from these stories an experience as deep and profound as with anything he or she has ever read. Grades 7-12. --Jesse Karp

Connections:

There is a lot of vocabulary that could be taught from this book such as barnacled, sultry, sanctuary, allegories, and brittle.

Discussion on the key ideas and themes of each story but also the book as a whole.  

Discussion on accepting different cultures.

You could discuss how some stories aren’t scary but are dark. Which ones are dark and what mood do you think the author had to be in to write those?

Students could create their drawings and write a tale in similar formats.

Using the ‘Found Poem” as inspiration have students use magazines, newspapers, articles, etc to create their own Found Poem about them in the book. They can add their writing as well.

Research Shawn Tan

Check out Poetry tools and graphic novel tools online and create your writing to create a classroom book.