Name: Tales From Outer Suburbia
ISBN: 9781741760040

Shaun Tan

From the much-acclaimed creator of The Arrival, The Red Tree and The Lost Thing, fifteen intriguing illustrated stories about the mysteries that lurk below the surface of suburban life.

Tales From Outer Suburbia

Fifteen illustrated short stories, some humorous and some haunting, set in the Australian suburbs.

Tales from Outer Suburbia

Colton Ray

This was an interesting set of stories - some of them almost flash fiction - most of them fairy tale/magical realism in nature. They didn't grab me enough to be super memorable, but I enjoyed them and the wonderful illustrations as well.

Sarah Sammis

Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan is a collection of short stories about surreal happenings in a suburban neighborhood. The table of contents is done as a series of stamps with their values being the page number that the story starts on.

It's only 96 pages and there are fifteen stories. That comes down to about four pages per story and mostly those pages are Shaun Tan's excellent illustrations. These pictures are done in a variety of styles and media.

There's a story about making your own pet from boxes. Another involving backyard rockets. There's a yak who helps everyone find what they are missing. And so forth.

The overall feel of the book is something along the lines of Thirteen by Remy Charlip and Jerry Joyner. The stories are all somewhat surreal, somewhat silly and, thought provoking.

Fifteen illustrated short stories, some humorous and some haunting, set in the Australian suburbs--Résumé de l'éditeur.

Matthew Royal

This was much better than I was expecting. Should I ever have children, this is one of the books I will read with them. It has an open ended air that cultivates a worship of the mischievous, infinitely varied world we live in. The closest genre I can compare it to is Lovecraft's works of cosmic horror, where reality seems a thin veil for the fantastic and unimaginable. It deals with real psychological themes of abandonment, love in many forms, and the choices we make without thinking.

 Here lies no horror or demons, so maybe we'll call Tan's work a volume in cosmic joy.

Hans Gerwitz

Amazing. Tiny little stories that suck you in deeper than the most epic of novels.

Callie Anna

So beautiful. this is one of the books that caught my eye straight from the library shelf. One that I knew nothing about, and now love.

'Tales from Outer Suburbia' is an inspiring collection of original stories and illustrations. Shaun Tan, creator of 'The Arrival', 'The Lost Thing' and 'The Red Tree', reveals the quiet mysteries of everyday life: homemade pets, dangerous weddings, and secret rooms filled with darkness and delight

Alexia

Lovely collection of short graphic stories. 
Below is the detailed rating (the ones in bold are my favorites.)

The water buffalo: 4.75 stars
Eric: 5 stars
Broken toys: 4 stars
Distant rain: 4.5 stars
Undertow: 3.5 stars
Grandpa's story: 4 stars
No other country: 4 stars
Stick figures: 3 stars 
The nameless holiday: 3 stars
The amnesia machine: 2 stars 
Alert but not armed: 3.75 stars
Wake: 4.5 stars
Make your own pet: 4.5 stars
Our expedition: 3.25 stars
Night of the turtle rescue: 3 stars.

Adine

Andrea Pozo

Georgi Mitrev

Luca Masters

Lisbeth Vinueza

tabata gallina

Emmie B.

Anna Lagerqvist

Kelsi Proulx

Akanksha Chattopadhyay

Rebecca Thornber

Do you remember the water buffalo at the end of our street? Or the deep-sea diver we found near the underpass? Do you know why dogs bark in the middle of the night? Shaun Tan, creator of THE ARRIVAL, THE LOST THING and THE RED TREE, reveals the quiet mysteries of everyday life: homemade pets, dangerous weddings, stranded sea mammals, tiny exchange students and secret rooms filled with darkness and delight.