I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This is a bizarre story about an exchange student with a difficult name, calling him Eric. Eric is not like other people, and you follow him through his journey. It's more of a short story than a picture book.

A reprint of an illustrated children’s book from about a decade ago. It’s simple but very cute. Younger kids may not quite ‘get it’ but an easy explanation from an adult will help.

Eric, a random creature, is called a foreign exchange student in this story. He’s a bit odd, quiet, and culturally different. Or so Mom tells our child writer. Each time Eric does not react as expected it is written off as a ‘cultural thing’. At first this might seem insensitive but by the end it’s clearly a compliment.

Our creature doesn’t admire or adore the big things they are shown. Instead they pick-up on little things like: buttons, wrappers, stamps, bottle caps. Ordinary objects that most of us would consider garbage when found on the ground randomly. Lucky for us Eric shows us that these items are all unique, and can have a life past their original use.

A subtle but impactful story. Be sure to read it with your kiddo(s) together the first time to ensure they understand and appreciate what is being said.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

This book is a delight. Written from the point of view of a homestay host, the use of negative space around the text and the quiet intensity of the illustrations of exchange student Eric invites the reader to contemplate each side's feelings and perspective. Eric is different from his hosts, but he is okay with that, and we realize that the rest of us should be, too.

The art in this is incredibly BEAUTIFUL!!
the illustrations truly spoke for themselves and i like the very minute text on the pages.
this was a delight to my eyes and i wish i could print a few of those and the end pages are spectacular. it was a nice lesson on being patient and liking the small things.

Oh my gosh, this is such a lovely book! A family is excited to meet the foreign exchange student that's coming to stay with them, but once they meet Eric, they find he's not what they were expecting. He chooses to sleep in the pantry rather than the guest room they fixed up especially for him, he doesn't speak much, and seems to be mostly interested in small things he finds on the ground, leaving the family puzzled, chalking up his odd behavior to cultural differences. When Eric leaves abruptly, they wonder if they've done something wrong- then they find the gift Eric left, still with them years later. A sweet story of the impact people can have on each other's lives, even after time has passed. And the art! So very lovely, in soft sepia/gray tones that really highlight the warm ending. Gorgeous.

Omg this story is absolutely adorable. My grandchildren just loved it and I really enjoyed it for a children’s book.

This is a sweet story from Shaun Tan's Tales from Outer Suburbia collection. It is about a family that hosts a foreign student. Eric (his real name is too hard for them to pronounce) is a lovely little character even if he doesn't fit into the family's expectation of normal. Any contrast to their way of knowing the world is attributed to cultural difference. Readers are only aware of Eric's perspective through the images.
I've read through this at least three times and am still struggling to come up with words that might explain the aching emotional response I'm left with.

Eric is a cute story about a child’s experience with a foreign exchange student named Eric. They notice that Eric does things differently than they do, but instead of judging are mindful and recognize that humans have different cultures and ways of doing things. This story explores cultural differences, acceptance, and curiosity. And the ending is a delight.

This book was interesting but hard to describe. Eric is a foreign exchange student who comes to live with a family for a short while. The family does what they can to make him feel welcome and give him a memorable experience. But they are not sure they are successful. Even after he is gone, all they know is “it’s a culture thing”. I like this book, but I can not really say why. I love the illustrations, which are simple in color, and complex in execution. The story leaves me with many questions that are hard to articulate. I have a wonderful wondering sensation leftover from this reading that I think many should experience for themselves.

Shaun Tan's beautiful picture book, Eric, highlights cultural differences and is a gentle reminder to accept each other and look for the wonders around you.

Eric is a very cute book. It took me a bit to understand what was going on . The illustrations were good and I liked the ending.

I received an e-galley of this book from Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.

Eric by Shaun Tan is a story that makes you look closely at the pictures and think about what’s really happening. I think the way it started was already a great indication of perspective - the young narrator’s view of Eric, the foreign exchange student, is quite foreign indeed. Appearing to be quite small and more creature than human, Eric quickly assimilates when the host family is unable to pronounce his name, allowing them to call him Eric. Little microagressions occur throughout the book as Eric stays with the family for awhile and disappears without a word. The family is unable to understand this but when they stumble upon what Eric left for them, they are able to perhaps truly understand how it may have been a “cultural thing” that they probably could have tried harder to embrace.

Truly thought provoking and beautiful in its simplicity. Shaun Tan is a visual storyteller that I’m more curious about. I understand that Eric is one of many stories to appear in Shaun Tan’s collection and I will definitely be looking into that.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the book.

Eric by Shaun Tan is a sweet and curious story about empathy and respect for cultural differences, and it is completely charming in its uniqueness, much like Eric himself. When Eric arrives as a foreign exchange student, his hosts struggle to understand some of his quirky and unfamiliar behaviour. When he leaves one day with little more than a wave and a smile, the family are surprised that he has also left them with a beautiful gift, one of universal understanding. This book would be a lovely addition to any child's home library.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for the digital ARC of this book.

What a wonderful little tale. I don't think this story could be any cuter if it tried. I love the illustrations, the story and the feeling of happy curiosity it gave me. So glad I read this book.
5 stars