This collection of short stories is filled with irony and beautiful artwork. Shaun does a wonderful job of blending a feel of normal, everyday life in the neighborhood with quirky and bizarre twists. His previous work was an amazing wordless graphic novel called The Arrival that presented the tail of an immigrant coming to a new country in a place somewhat like our world, but not quite.

In these stories, he has done just the same things. The suburban tableau captures the feel of 1950's cliched America while blending in a magical, otherworldly feel to the stories. In one story, he tells of an exchange student that stays with the family and finds the smallest of details to be most interesting. In another, the idea of an inner courtyard swings for a psychological construct to a realistic escape from the rigors of modern life. He even provides instructions on how to grow your own pet. The story that most caught my attention is one in which every family has adopted a missile that is kept in a silo on their property, but rather than just maintain it, they really focus more on keeping it painted and attractive.

The stories run along a vein of Clive Barker or Neil Gaiman. Each is eerily different from our world, but end in a way that puts a little smile on your face or makes you go ... hmmm. This would be a great book to read with a book group because it would be wonderful to really hear what people have to say about their reactions to each story.

The artwork is done in both pencil and mixed media, and Tan has a talent for knowing when to use the perfect materials or coloring or even font for each story. The book really is a work of art. The art is also an integral part of the storytelling.

While this is probably not a book that most teens (or readers in general) would likely read on their own, it really is quite an enjoyable and intriguing read. Hmmmm!