When we started the series, what impressed me most about Shaun's books was his combination of uniquely Australian surrealist imagery, with stories grounded in his personal experiences, yet thematically they had universal appeal. 

In adapting Tales from Outer Suburbia for the screen, it was important that we anchored the surreal visual style around unique and relatable characters, whose journeys would resonate with children and their families, who are interested in unusual and at times challenging storytelling. I feel that Klara and Pim's experiences in the series provide such a journey. 

Tonally, we looked for comedy and lightness amongst the dramatic storylines. TV is first and foremost an entertainment medium, but we hope that the deeper philosophical themes in the series will ignite much debate and dissection in our audience, just as Shaun's books have for many years.

- Noel Cleary, Series Director, Tales from Outer Suburbia 

Tales from Outer Suburbia invites students to explore a world where the ordinary gently – and at times unexpectedly – meets the extraordinary. The series offers rich opportunities to discuss the emotional experiences of childhood, the shifting dynamics of family life and the moments of quiet magic that can appear when young people approach change with curiosity, imagination and courage.

Inspired by the tone, texture and quiet wonder of Shaun Tan’s acclaimed book, this series blends realism and whimsy to open up rich opportunities for thinking, questioning, feeling and creating. Across ten episodes, students encounter curious creatures, unexpected happenings, and moments of deep humanity - all of which encourage emotional intelligence, imaginative reflection and thoughtful dialogue.

This resource helps you bring that experience into the classroom with structured, flexible and creative learning activities. It is designed for Years 5 – 8 students and mapped to English,  Media Arts and General Capabilities.

“Strange and scary things are better. They teach us things…like who we are and what we really want...or what we really need.” 

- Grandma & Grandpa, Tales from Outer Suburbia, Episode 8: ‘Badlands’’

Professional learning

Join us for our free professional learning session exploring how to use Tales from Outer Suburbia in the classroom:

Accessing the series

The full series is available on ABC iview.

Schools can purchase a downloadable copy from the ACTF Shop.

To build curiosity and a sense of wonder from the outset, teachers may like to use the following sequence to introduce the series.

Activity 1: Explore the 'About Tales from Outer of Suburbia' section together

This will provide students with a shared foundation for entering the world of the series.

Activity 2: Watch the trailer

Use the trailer as your first text for noticing, predicting and wondering.

Activity 3: Whole-class reflection

Open up a conversation using guiding questions such as:

• What stayed in your mind after watching?
• What felt familiar or real?
• What felt unusual, strange or magical?
• What would you like to understand or explore further?

Activity 4: Build a wonder wall

Explore the landing page of this resource, illustrated by Shaun Tan. Use this illustration and the trailer as prompts to begin building a class Wonder Wall. Divide your board (or butcher’s paper) into two sections:

This approach positions students as active interpreters whose ideas shape the learning journey.

Once students have been introduced to the series, you are invited to choose your own learning adventure. The resource is organised episode by episode, with each module linked below:

Activities

Every episode section includes a suite of activities designed to support rich, imaginative and purposeful learning. Activities are written so they can be displayed directly on your board or shared via your preferred digital platform. These activities include:

Tuning in: Short, accessible prompts that capture students’ first impressions and emotional responses. These questions help students notice what stood out to them and begin forming their own interpretations.

Theme explorations: Activities that guide students to connect with the episode’s big ideas - family, belonging, change, fear, joy, imagination and more. Students are encouraged to move between personal reflection and analytical thinking, making meaning from both the real and the whimsical.

Creative response: Invitations for students to step creatively into the world of outer suburbia through drawing, writing, designing, imagining or performing. These tasks nurture curiosity and empower students to express their own voice and perspective.

Page to screen comparisons: Opportunities for students to examine the creative decisions involved in adaptation. These tasks highlight what was kept, changed, expanded or reimagined as the story travelled from Shaun Tan’s picture book into animated form.

Production insights: Behind the scenes glimpses into animation, sound design and storytelling processes. These insights build media literacy and help students understand how screen stories are crafted.

Downloadable worksheets: Dotted throughout the activities are ready-to-print or digital worksheets that support independent and group work for each activity.

There is no single ‘correct’ pathway through this education resource - each teacher and class can explore Tales from Outer Suburbia in the way that best suits their interests, curriculum focus and time.

This resource is designed to be open and adaptable. Each episode stands alone, giving you the freedom to explore the series in whatever way best suits your class - whether that’s focusing on a single episode, sampling a few, exploring all ten, mixing themes across episodes or using individual stories as weekly provocations or deep dives into adaptation and storytelling.

You can seamlessly integrate the episodes into a wide range of learning contexts, including:

• English: Analysing how stories are structured and how characters, settings, viewpoints and themes are created; responding to and creating imaginative and multimodal texts.
• Media Arts: Exploring representation, story principles and how technical and symbolic elements (sound, movement, framing) shape meaning.
• Critical and Creative Thinking and Personal and Social Capability: Building skills in questioning, interpreting, generating ideas, empathising, and reflecting on emotions, relationships and perspectives.

When asked what Shaun Tan wanted the audience to get from watching the series, he replied:

Well, it may be an odd thing to say, but I hope audiences will be puzzled. Not confused or bewildered, but also not entirely understanding what, how or why things are happening in the story the way they do. I’ve never read a single good poem, listened to a great song or watched a terrific film that I can say I’ve fully understood. I love them because the meaning remains a little elusive. 

I’ve staked my career on the belief that young audiences are very smart like this: they sense a constellation of deeper meanings beyond simple explanations. A golden fish pulled in from the sky, a friend made of junk coming from the earth, a girl hiding in an underpass with the head of a cat: all of these things should feel like familiar discrepancies in the fabric of normal life, like dreams with something important to say, but in a way that can never – should never – be spelled out. I hope they remind audiences of other things, people and situations in their own lives, things that also defy explanation, but still feel very truthful. 

Finally, I hope that some young viewers will be inspired to write, illustrate and even animate their own stories about personal experiences, with a few little oddities thrown in, following the Tales from Outer Suburbia recipe, of how things that don’t make sense can still make sense. This seems to be the journey taken by the principal characters in the story, and it's the journey, arguably, that we are all on out here in the ‘real’ world.

- Shaun Tan, Source: Flying Bark

Follow your students’ curiosity. Encourage their questions. Celebrate their interpretations. Let the magic, oddness and emotional truth of Tales from Outer Suburbia help your students make sense of their world - just as Shaun Tan intended.

This resource was developed in collaboration with Dr Susan Bye. We are deeply grateful for her expertise, generosity and thoughtful contributions throughout the development process. Susan is an experienced moving image educator who specialises in creating engaging, accessible learning experiences and resources that support screen and media literacy across English, Media, and The Arts.

Our sincere thanks to Shaun Tan, Flying Bark Productions and Highly Spirited Productions for working closely with us to share a wealth of behind‑the‑scenes material. From video interviews to original concept artwork, these contributions offer students a rare and meaningful insight into how Tales from Outer Suburbia was brought to the screen.

We also thank Allen and Unwin for allowing us to include excerpts from the book, Tales from Outer Suburbia. Their support has helped enrich the learning experience and strengthen connections between the book and the animated adaptation.

Special thanks to the cast, crew and production team who contributed quotes, images and reflections to this resource. Your generosity has helped create something truly unique for students and teachers alike.

Finally, the resource navigation page was beautifully illustrated by Shaun Tan. We are sincerely thankful for his generosity, creativity and attention to detail, which brings a strong sense of wonder and warmth to the resource. His artwork helps invite students into the world of Tales from Outer Suburbia and sets the tone for thoughtful exploration and imaginative learning.

Printable colouring pages featuring this illustration are available to download here.