diff --git a/tensorflow_io/core/kernels/arrow/arrow_util.cc b/tensorflow_io/core/kernels/arrow/arrow_util.cc
index 931d8f796..b33f7a178 100644
--- a/tensorflow_io/core/kernels/arrow/arrow_util.cc
+++ b/tensorflow_io/core/kernels/arrow/arrow_util.cc
@@ -420,7 +420,11 @@ class ArrowMakeArrayDataImpl : public arrow::TypeVisitor {
 
     // Make array data for the child type
     type_ = type.value_type();
-    type.value_type()->Accept(this);
+    arrow::Status child_status = type.value_type()->Accept(this);
+    if (!child_status.ok()) {
+      return arrow::Status::NotImplemented(
+          "Unsupported list child type " + type.value_type()->ToString());
+    }
     auto child_data = *out_data_;
 
     // Make array data for the list TODO null count == 0
diff --git a/tests/test_arrow.py b/tests/test_arrow.py
index 6ff64a50b..8f9cf1572 100644
--- a/tests/test_arrow.py
+++ b/tests/test_arrow.py
@@ -189,6 +189,14 @@ def test_arrow_io_tensor_lists(self):
         iot = tfio.IOTensor.from_arrow(table)
         self.run_test_case(iot, truth_data, table.column_names)
 
+    def test_arrow_io_tensor_list_string(self):
+        """A list of strings is not buildable yet and must fail cleanly"""
+        table = pa.Table.from_arrays(
+            [pa.array([["a", "b"], ["c"]], type=pa.list_(pa.string()))], names=["a"]
+        )
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(tf.errors.OpError, "Unsupported list child type"):
+            tfio.IOTensor.from_arrow(table)
+
     def test_arrow_io_tensor_mixed(self):
         """test_arrow_io_tensor_mixed"""
         truth_data = TruthData(