Review of Hometown by Shaun Tan
Shaun Tan’s Hometown (Levine Querido, 2026) is a gorgeously illustrated graphic novel telling the story of a young girl, her family, and what happens when she learns something about where she came from.
The protagonist of this graphic novel is a human girl, even though her family members aren’t human. She meets a human boy who wants to take her away from where she’s always lived, telling her that she doesn’t belong there. It’s a sweet and heartfelt story about what family and the idea of a “hometown” really mean.
In addition to the wonderful story, the art is absolutely breathtaking. It’s a lovely mix of dreamy pastel colors, surreal landscapes and characters, and delicate details that warrant reading and re-reading just to enjoy it all again and pick out things you might have missed the first time through! The hardback graphic novel has pages larger than a typical graphic novel does, which allows for stunning two-page spreads that are worthy of being framed! (You can see some of the artwork and sketches on Shaun Tan’s website.)
Hometown is a great read for kids and adults who enjoy a wonderful story accompanied by imaginative illustrations! It will be released on September 15, 2026.
The publisher provided me with an advance copy of this graphic novel for review consideration.
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