The Journey, The Quest and The Return – A Review

Reading age 4 and upwards

This is a wordless picture book

What happens when we are too busy to play with the kid? Well, mine just whines and screams till we comply. Not the best parenting advice for sure.

But what if the kid had a magical crayon that brings to life whatever she draws?

Welcome to the word of Aaron Becker’s books.

The 2014 Caldecott winning picture book, “The Journey” is a stunning visual of a lonely girl who draws a door with her red crayon and enters a world of adventure. There is an enchanted forest, a mysterious kingdom, an evil king, a magic carpet and enough thrilling elements to keep the child engaged. The best part about the book is the parent need not be there for the kid to enjoy the book. Being a wordless book the visuals are enough to tell the story. A class example of “A picture is equal to a thousand words”

The sequel “The Quest” is about a king that is captured by evil forces and how two kids go on a quest to rescue him.

The final part of the trilogy is “The Return” where the girl returns to the enchanted castle for the third time and this time it will take more than gentle persuasion for her to return home.

With each retelling of these stories the tale becomes richer and denser. It’s a great to get the child to narrate story in words to a parent or care giver. It will enhance their communication skills and build their imagination.

Click on the titles to purchase these books from amazon