Tales From Outer Suburbia Review

When I picked out the Tales From Outer Suburbia on Amazon, I figured it would be more like a graphic novel since that was the section it was in. However, when I received it I realized it was more akin to a children's book filled with written stories with pictures to accompany them. While at first I was a bit disappointed, I must admit ultimately I ended up delightfully surprised with the book in the end.

Like I said the book is made of up various stories, all told very well and they all fit into something that could happen in a suburb but have strange twists to them. For example in one a marine creature lands on someones lawn in a suburban neighborhood, which isnt practical, but for the sake of the story is an interesting development.

There are a handful of stories in total from Shaun Tan a very talented writer and to my knowledge artist. Each story is the perfect length for a dose of wonder and mystery that you might choose to read to your children before bed. If you have a child and read them bed time stories, I would highly recommend checking this one out.

The art is the most beautiful part of this book in my opinion, not only because it is very well done but it adds to the imagination when you are reading each story. The drawings help familiarize what might be a hard concept to grasp especially with some of the more eccentric stories in the book. Not to mention they are just pretty to look at.

The book has this strange feel to it that I cant explain well, maybe its partly nostalgic but something is definitely familiar about it. Many of the drawings are in black and white or shaded to make you feel like you are in part of an episode of the Twilight Zone. Many of the stories might not be completely explained and yet you feel a sense of fulfillment after reading them. I would highly recommend taking a look at this book or adding it to your collection.

-Calaber24p