Journey (Children's Series)
​Aaron Becker (2013)

THE A5 BOOK REVIEW

A lonely girl escapes the boredom of home by drawing a magic door on her bedroom.  Through it she ventures into a magical realm of wonder and danger, and one that she can control with her imagination.  With her red marker, she creates a boat, balloon, and a flying carpet that transport her along on her journey.  When she is captured by an evil emperor, only an act of amazing courage and kindness can set her free.  A 2014 Caldecott Honor Book, Journey is a really beautiful story, and the artwork from author-illustrator Aaron Becker will delight.  Perfect for children ages 4-8.
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THE JOURNEY TRILOGY

The journey continues with Aaron Becker’s second and third books in the trilogy, Quest and Return.  Each story wonderfully stands alone, but the brilliance lies in the continuity of the wordless adventure across all three books.  Even the three breathtaking covers show the timeline – daytime, sunset and night.  Kids who love magical kingdoms, castles, exotic creatures and enchanting landscapes will love these books.

INTERESTING LINKS:

  • The review by Elizabeth Bird on the School Library Journal really captures the essence of this book.  She is a big fan; "The more people that sit down and take in the pages of the book, the better off the whole of humanity will be."  Read more by clicking here.
  • Journey likely got some inspiration from another great kids' book, Harold and the Purple Crayon, a story published in 1955 starring a four year old who can control his world by wielding his purple crayon to draw moons, paths, and buildings.  The themes are similar, and this book is another great option for kids with great imaginations.

LEARN TO DRAW THE BALLOON AND THE BIRD FROM AARON BECKER