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Journey Trilogy #3
Return
Welcome the much-anticipated finale of Caldecott Honoree Aaron Becker’s wordless trilogy—a spectacular, emotionally satisfying story that brings its adventurer home.
Failing to get the attention of her busy father, a lonely girl turns back to a fantastic world for friendship and adventure. It’s her third journey into the enticing realm of kings and emperors, castles and canals, exotic creatures and enchanting landscapes. This time, it will take something truly powerful to persuade her to return home, as a gripping backstory is revealed that will hold readers in its thrall. Caldecott Honor winner Aaron Becker delivers a suspenseful and moving climax to his wordless trilogy, an epic that began with the award-winning Journey and continued with the celebrated follow-up Quest.
Failing to get the attention of her busy father, a lonely girl turns back to a fantastic world for friendship and adventure. It’s her third journey into the enticing realm of kings and emperors, castles and canals, exotic creatures and enchanting landscapes. This time, it will take something truly powerful to persuade her to return home, as a gripping backstory is revealed that will hold readers in its thrall. Caldecott Honor winner Aaron Becker delivers a suspenseful and moving climax to his wordless trilogy, an epic that began with the award-winning Journey and continued with the celebrated follow-up Quest.
42 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 2, 2016
13 people are currently reading
1346 people want to read
About the author
Aaron Becker
13 books423 followersAaron Becker has worked as an artist for such film studios as Lucasfilm, Disney, and Pixar, where he helped define the look and feel of characters, stories, and the movies they become a part of. With Journey, he has created characters and worlds of his very own, using traditional materials and techniques. Aaron Becker lives in Amherst, Massachusetts, with his wife, daughter, and cat. This is his first book.
"I’ve made several memorable journeys in my lifetime. I’ve lived in rural Japan and East Africa and backpacked through the South Pacific and Sweden. But to this day, my favorite destination remains my imagination, where you can often find me drawing secret doorways and magic lanterns." — Aaron Becker
"I’ve made several memorable journeys in my lifetime. I’ve lived in rural Japan and East Africa and backpacked through the South Pacific and Sweden. But to this day, my favorite destination remains my imagination, where you can often find me drawing secret doorways and magic lanterns." — Aaron Becker
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 394 reviews
April 14, 2017
To see this and other wordless picture book reviews, please visit www.readrantrockandroll.com
Return by Aaron Becker is the third installment in the Journey Trilogy.
As the little girl's father is once again occupied, she decides it's time for another adventure into an exotic world. This time, she has an unexpected visitor.
What made this book different from the first two was that this time the reader gets a glimpse into the real emotions the little girl has from not getting enough attention from her parents. I like the way this is incorporated and the ending sends a powerful message.
We loved it. I'm really looking forward to more from this author.
5*****
Return by Aaron Becker is the third installment in the Journey Trilogy.
As the little girl's father is once again occupied, she decides it's time for another adventure into an exotic world. This time, she has an unexpected visitor.
What made this book different from the first two was that this time the reader gets a glimpse into the real emotions the little girl has from not getting enough attention from her parents. I like the way this is incorporated and the ending sends a powerful message.
We loved it. I'm really looking forward to more from this author.
5*****
April 27, 2018
The adventure continues in this third book where children escape reality through a magic door and use a magic crayon to create objects they need during their fast paced adventures. I would like all three books to be made into one edition, these felt a little short and without the break between books you could become more absorbed in the adventure.
August 1, 2017
Return is the last book in a trilogy, following a young girl who with her red marker pen can draw magic doors, and enter other realms. The series is unique in that the books don’t contain any words, just illustrations from beginning to end.
I haven’t ‘read’ the first two books, but it didn’t take me long to understand exactly what was happening. The little girl wants to play, she wants an adventure. Unfortunately, her father is working, so she has to create her own fun, starting with drawing a magical door, in which she enters into a world of kings and queens. Closely followed by her father, who goes looking for her.
Return, is a spellbinding book. It captured my imagination with its silence. The novelty of being able to narrate the book myself was completely unique to me, it felt almost poetic.
Although this is a picture book, it is not for little children, the plot is too challenging. There are no young drawings, just beautiful, evocative illustrations. The images are like movie screen shots, each one tells a different stage of the story, moving one shot at a time. The intricate detail is what sets this book apart from others. Every little detail has been carefully drawn with precision, giving the reader the visual setting for their minds to work with.
The story flows naturally, and it effortlessly moves along at a steady pace. There are no language barriers with a wordless book. This book is just a filled to the brim fantasy adventure, that relies on you, the reader to complete the story, whichever version you may choose.
Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
I haven’t ‘read’ the first two books, but it didn’t take me long to understand exactly what was happening. The little girl wants to play, she wants an adventure. Unfortunately, her father is working, so she has to create her own fun, starting with drawing a magical door, in which she enters into a world of kings and queens. Closely followed by her father, who goes looking for her.
Return, is a spellbinding book. It captured my imagination with its silence. The novelty of being able to narrate the book myself was completely unique to me, it felt almost poetic.
Although this is a picture book, it is not for little children, the plot is too challenging. There are no young drawings, just beautiful, evocative illustrations. The images are like movie screen shots, each one tells a different stage of the story, moving one shot at a time. The intricate detail is what sets this book apart from others. Every little detail has been carefully drawn with precision, giving the reader the visual setting for their minds to work with.
The story flows naturally, and it effortlessly moves along at a steady pace. There are no language barriers with a wordless book. This book is just a filled to the brim fantasy adventure, that relies on you, the reader to complete the story, whichever version you may choose.
Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
August 26, 2017
The third and final installment to this wordless picture book that began with the Caldecott Honor Journey, followed by the second volume, Quest. Return is about a girl going on (and now returning to) her own series of fantastical journies when stay-at-home Dad is busy working. The artwork, somewhat inspired by the work of Becker's mentor Chris Van Allsburg, is gorgeous, and this third book shifts the perspective to include the father's joining his daughter on her journey/quest, which involves all manner of adventures including a Trojan horse-like boat, a griffin, cave drawings, castles, and so on.
Dad is working at his desk, looks behind him for his daughter, sees her (drawn) kite (think: Harold and the Purple Crayon), and follows the string to an opening she has drawn on the wall of her bedroom (think: Narnia). Like her, he goes through the (imaginary?) opening, where he eventually catches up with her. Dad is mainly along for the ride for much of it, following the girl's lead. This is more of the same affirmation of the imagination, but adding a parent-child co-discovery angle to the experience of fantasy. Or is it fantasy? Is it?!
Dad is working at his desk, looks behind him for his daughter, sees her (drawn) kite (think: Harold and the Purple Crayon), and follows the string to an opening she has drawn on the wall of her bedroom (think: Narnia). Like her, he goes through the (imaginary?) opening, where he eventually catches up with her. Dad is mainly along for the ride for much of it, following the girl's lead. This is more of the same affirmation of the imagination, but adding a parent-child co-discovery angle to the experience of fantasy. Or is it fantasy? Is it?!
August 10, 2016
An epic ending to the trilogy, this includes an evil Trojan horse-like boat, a griffin (so says my son,) some very detailed hieroglyphics, and many hidden gems my children have come to expect from this series. The illustrations are magnificent in this imaginary word.
Though, as my daughter said to me when I made that comment: Who says its imaginary?
Bravo! 5 stars.
Though, as my daughter said to me when I made that comment: Who says its imaginary?
Bravo! 5 stars.
January 23, 2019
We return to the beautiful world of the first book, but this time, we follow the girl's father as he discovers her door and follows her to the castle.
The watercolour images are beautiful, and I love the idea of drawings coming alive, and drawing what or who you need for your next steps in the world.
The watercolour images are beautiful, and I love the idea of drawings coming alive, and drawing what or who you need for your next steps in the world.
March 6, 2017
The crayon journey continues.
January 3, 2018
Love, love, love so much. What do I love? The way all the discoveries from the first two books come back around again, even if only as background. The emotional truth of the tension between daughter and father, and father and daughter's friends. The way this whole book begins where the first one began, but better. The way the ending isn't perfectly happy.
Dads. They complicate things.
Dads. They complicate things.
September 28, 2016
I did not expect to be moved to tearfulness by a wordless picture book but here we are.
March 14, 2019
Once again feeling ignored at home, the young girl who first appeared in Aaron Becker's
Journey
and
Quest
uses her magic red marker to open a portal into the magical kingdom she visited in those earlier books. This time, however, her father does notice her absence, and follows her into the enchanted parallel world. Although she refuses at first to have anything to do with him, no doubt feeling hurt at his perceived neglect, the girl is won over when her father joins in her adventure, helping her to escape the soldiers who have ambushed her friends, the king and boy who also featured in
Quest
. His assistance, and creative use of his black marker (or pencil?) help to win the day, and restore the glorious magical colored markers, thereby freeing the king and boy. Father and daughter return to their own world, where they head off to fly a kite together...
Every bit as engaging as its predecessors, this wordless picture-book offers a heartwarming conclusion to the magical saga begun in Journey . It feels appropriate that a story which began with a bored child who felt neglected, concluded with that boredom and feeling of neglect being recognized and remedied by a loving adult. I thought it was interesting that the father, who appears to be an architect or something of that sort - he is shown working in his home office at the beginning of the book - is able to contribute to the magic with his black marker/pencil, as this seems to hint at the idea that it is not the color of the markers used throughout the trilogy that is significant, but rather the creative imagination of those wielding them. That said, Return is a marvelously colorful book, and the artwork, done in watercolor, pen and ink, is more than equal to carrying the story. Recommended to anyone looking for wordless picture-books, or who enjoyed the first two books in Becker's Journey trilogy.
Every bit as engaging as its predecessors, this wordless picture-book offers a heartwarming conclusion to the magical saga begun in Journey . It feels appropriate that a story which began with a bored child who felt neglected, concluded with that boredom and feeling of neglect being recognized and remedied by a loving adult. I thought it was interesting that the father, who appears to be an architect or something of that sort - he is shown working in his home office at the beginning of the book - is able to contribute to the magic with his black marker/pencil, as this seems to hint at the idea that it is not the color of the markers used throughout the trilogy that is significant, but rather the creative imagination of those wielding them. That said, Return is a marvelously colorful book, and the artwork, done in watercolor, pen and ink, is more than equal to carrying the story. Recommended to anyone looking for wordless picture-books, or who enjoyed the first two books in Becker's Journey trilogy.
October 28, 2016
Return is absolutely gorgeous. Each page is a work of art. The usage of color plays a large role in the story, and makes every scene feel so magical. I haven't had the pleasure of reading #1 or #2 of this series, but this book can definitely read as a standalone. It's beautiful and touching, and you can read spend anywhere from 10 minutes to hours "reading" this amazing story.
*I got this book from Candlewick Press*
*I got this book from Candlewick Press*
October 15, 2016
This was an interesting end to the trilogy actually, as it gets one of the parents aware of their child's sudden disappearances and inadvertently involved with a more dangerous adventure.
Great illustrations. Lots of imagination.
Great illustrations. Lots of imagination.
November 29, 2018
در نهایت این سه گانه جذاب من از نشر پرتقال بگم که این سه کتاب رو با بالاترین کیفیت چاپ کرده و قیمت مناسبی هم داشتن توی چاپ اولشون ولی کتاب اول به چاپ جدید رسیده و قیمتش بالاتر رفته ولی با این حال کاملا ارزش پدلی که میپردازید رو داره
August 1, 2016
I LOVE this trilogy! Each and every book.
December 20, 2017
Lol! My daughter Bella said these aren’t really a read aloud, but a picture aloud. Lol. Either way, loved this series!
March 11, 2020
Τα ίδια με το "Ταξίδι" και την "Αναζήτηση", δηλαδή:
Παιδιά, κυκλοφορεί το Dixit σε βιβλίο, νιώθετε;; Μάλιστα πρόκειται για μια τριλογία "Ταξίδι - Αναζήτηση - Επιστροφή", χωρίς ούτε μια λέξη στις σελίδες αλλά με περίπου ένα εκατομμύριο νοερές ανά σελίδα. Αναλόγως της προσωπικής κατάστασης λοιπόν του καθενός, ετοιμαστείτε να βουτήξετε σε μια οργιαστική φαντασιακή ονειροζώνη, όπου αν είστε και ελαφρώς πιωμένος ενδέχεται να αποκτήσει ένα κάποιο μεγαλύτερο ενδιαφέρον. Αν δε "διαβάζοντάς" το βάλετε στο μπακγκράουντ και καμιά μουσική υπόκρουση του γούστου σας, μπορεί και να νιώσετε ότι κάνατε τον γύρο του κόσμου σε 40 σελίδες και 10 λεπτά. Μια από τις σκέψεις που προσωπικά έκανα είναι ότι μεγάλη δουλειά ο πύργος του Άιφελ μπροστά στους θησαυρούς τόσων αιώνων και τόσων πολιτισμών. Στους δε θησαυρούς του μυαλού, δεν πιάνει μία. Εξαίρετη τριλογία. Τέτοια πράματα αφειδώς και δια βίου για νεογέννητα, μικρούς, νέους, μεσήλικες, γηραιούς, ετοιμοθάνατους.
Παιδιά, κυκλοφορεί το Dixit σε βιβλίο, νιώθετε;; Μάλιστα πρόκειται για μια τριλογία "Ταξίδι - Αναζήτηση - Επιστροφή", χωρίς ούτε μια λέξη στις σελίδες αλλά με περίπου ένα εκατομμύριο νοερές ανά σελίδα. Αναλόγως της προσωπικής κατάστασης λοιπόν του καθενός, ετοιμαστείτε να βουτήξετε σε μια οργιαστική φαντασιακή ονειροζώνη, όπου αν είστε και ελαφρώς πιωμένος ενδέχεται να αποκτήσει ένα κάποιο μεγαλύτερο ενδιαφέρον. Αν δε "διαβάζοντάς" το βάλετε στο μπακγκράουντ και καμιά μουσική υπόκρουση του γούστου σας, μπορεί και να νιώσετε ότι κάνατε τον γύρο του κόσμου σε 40 σελίδες και 10 λεπτά. Μια από τις σκέψεις που προσωπικά έκανα είναι ότι μεγάλη δουλειά ο πύργος του Άιφελ μπροστά στους θησαυρούς τόσων αιώνων και τόσων πολιτισμών. Στους δε θησαυρούς του μυαλού, δεν πιάνει μία. Εξαίρετη τριλογία. Τέτοια πράματα αφειδώς και δια βίου για νεογέννητα, μικρούς, νέους, μεσήλικες, γηραιούς, ετοιμοθάνατους.
October 15, 2017
Love the illustrations in this wordless picture book. The book features a young girl who creates a fantasy world and herself and a young boy create more objects and animals in the world by drawing them. I really like this different way of creating the story and how you can them drawing and then it comes to life on he next page. Read the third one before the second one but am unsure whether it follows a story or not.
December 20, 2016
This combined review of Journey, Quest, and Return also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
The young girl who stars as the central character in this wordless picture book trilogy by Aaron Becker begins Journey feeling bored and left out amidst her busy family's other obligations. After asking each member of the household to spend time with her and being rejected, she, much like Sendak's Max, sets out on a journey. She begins by drawing a doorway into her bedroom wall with a red piece of chalk. The passageway she opens leads her into another world, where she is greeted cheerfully by soldiers, and then witnesses the capture of a beautiful purple bird. When she tries to free the bird, she finds herself caged, but not for long. By the end of the story, she is safely rescued and in the company of a new friend.
The second book, Quest, picks up the two children's adventure just where it leaves off in the first book. The two ride their chalk-made bicycle through the park, where they are approached by the king of the other world the girl has just visited. The king presents the children with a map which will lead them to a piece of chalk for each color of the rainbow. It becomes clear that these chalks are the source of power in the land where the king rules and by tracking them down and returning them to their rightful place, the young girl and boy will restore the king to his full strength. Throughout the book, the two friends work together ingeniously to draw the solutions to the problems presented by various obstacles in their path.
Finally, in the conclusion of the trilogy, Return, the girl once again approaches a family member, her father, with an invitation to spend time together, but is ignored. When she retreats once again to the magical world she helped to save, this time her father follows behind. When he finds his daughter, she refuses to speak to him at first, but that changes when the king is once again put in danger, and only the girl and her dad are left free to save the day.
I read each of these books independently of the others at the time of their publication. When considering each individual book, the first one, Journey, comes across as the strongest and most compelling. The story is self-contained, with no required prior knowledge and no cliffhangers, so the reader walks away satisfied. The emotions of the story, from the girl's sadness at being excluded by her family, to the exhilaration of saving the bird from danger, to the instant recognition of a new friend at the end, are relatable and they make it easy for the reader to navigate the largely unfamiliar fantasy world. The second and third books, read as isolated stories, don't work as well. Return, especially, requires knowledge of at least the first book, if not the second, to even begin to make sense. When I received my review copy of Return, I immediately needed to reread both Journey and Quest to refresh my memory.
Read together, however, these books are truly beautiful. The trilogy reads like one cohesive story with a strong beginning, an exciting middle, and an ending which happily resolves the tension between the young girl and her dad. The illustrations in all three books are distinctive, filled with interesting uses of color and light and unique changes in perspective that show both the large-scale terrain of Becker's world, and the small details within it. Though there are no words at all in any of the books, the reader easily begins to grasp the politics of the fantasy world of the story, and to understand the danger the young characters are in as they try to rescue the chalks ahead of the bad guys because of the many details Becker includes. (Among my favorites are the petroglyphs discovered by the girl and her dad in Return, which provide pictorial backstory.) There is also perfect continuity from book to book, as the bicycle which appears on the final page of Journey is the first image of Quest, and the crown which the king places on the girl's head at the conclusion of Quest is still present on the opening page of Return.
Return is a fitting conclusion to this trilogy, and the perfect stopping point for the story arc. The final moment, especially, is subtle, but powerful, and it leaves the reader smiling and nodding that all will be well for our young heroine from now on. Because this trilogy is wordless, it can be enjoyed by children and adults at different levels. Little Miss Muffet found quite a bit to talk about in the illustrations at the tender age of two, and I'm sure her reading will only deepen as she grows. These books are a wonderful addition to any picture book collection, and I look forward to discovering whatever Aaron Becker publishes next.
The young girl who stars as the central character in this wordless picture book trilogy by Aaron Becker begins Journey feeling bored and left out amidst her busy family's other obligations. After asking each member of the household to spend time with her and being rejected, she, much like Sendak's Max, sets out on a journey. She begins by drawing a doorway into her bedroom wall with a red piece of chalk. The passageway she opens leads her into another world, where she is greeted cheerfully by soldiers, and then witnesses the capture of a beautiful purple bird. When she tries to free the bird, she finds herself caged, but not for long. By the end of the story, she is safely rescued and in the company of a new friend.
The second book, Quest, picks up the two children's adventure just where it leaves off in the first book. The two ride their chalk-made bicycle through the park, where they are approached by the king of the other world the girl has just visited. The king presents the children with a map which will lead them to a piece of chalk for each color of the rainbow. It becomes clear that these chalks are the source of power in the land where the king rules and by tracking them down and returning them to their rightful place, the young girl and boy will restore the king to his full strength. Throughout the book, the two friends work together ingeniously to draw the solutions to the problems presented by various obstacles in their path.
Finally, in the conclusion of the trilogy, Return, the girl once again approaches a family member, her father, with an invitation to spend time together, but is ignored. When she retreats once again to the magical world she helped to save, this time her father follows behind. When he finds his daughter, she refuses to speak to him at first, but that changes when the king is once again put in danger, and only the girl and her dad are left free to save the day.
I read each of these books independently of the others at the time of their publication. When considering each individual book, the first one, Journey, comes across as the strongest and most compelling. The story is self-contained, with no required prior knowledge and no cliffhangers, so the reader walks away satisfied. The emotions of the story, from the girl's sadness at being excluded by her family, to the exhilaration of saving the bird from danger, to the instant recognition of a new friend at the end, are relatable and they make it easy for the reader to navigate the largely unfamiliar fantasy world. The second and third books, read as isolated stories, don't work as well. Return, especially, requires knowledge of at least the first book, if not the second, to even begin to make sense. When I received my review copy of Return, I immediately needed to reread both Journey and Quest to refresh my memory.
Read together, however, these books are truly beautiful. The trilogy reads like one cohesive story with a strong beginning, an exciting middle, and an ending which happily resolves the tension between the young girl and her dad. The illustrations in all three books are distinctive, filled with interesting uses of color and light and unique changes in perspective that show both the large-scale terrain of Becker's world, and the small details within it. Though there are no words at all in any of the books, the reader easily begins to grasp the politics of the fantasy world of the story, and to understand the danger the young characters are in as they try to rescue the chalks ahead of the bad guys because of the many details Becker includes. (Among my favorites are the petroglyphs discovered by the girl and her dad in Return, which provide pictorial backstory.) There is also perfect continuity from book to book, as the bicycle which appears on the final page of Journey is the first image of Quest, and the crown which the king places on the girl's head at the conclusion of Quest is still present on the opening page of Return.
Return is a fitting conclusion to this trilogy, and the perfect stopping point for the story arc. The final moment, especially, is subtle, but powerful, and it leaves the reader smiling and nodding that all will be well for our young heroine from now on. Because this trilogy is wordless, it can be enjoyed by children and adults at different levels. Little Miss Muffet found quite a bit to talk about in the illustrations at the tender age of two, and I'm sure her reading will only deepen as she grows. These books are a wonderful addition to any picture book collection, and I look forward to discovering whatever Aaron Becker publishes next.
March 8, 2022
My favorite of the trilogy!
October 9, 2018
This book is stupid gorgeous, it has no words, it’s thrilling and hopeful, and I’ve read it’s 40 beautiful pages repeatedly.
October 28, 2022
Another phenomenal picture book with gorgeous illustrations and one in which the parent has some character growth!
August 8, 2016
I previously reviewed books #1 and #2 in the Journey trilogy by Caldecott Honoree Aaron Becker. This beautifully drawn and conceived trilogy has not a word in them. As a wordless trilogy it has spectacular imagery and it takes the "reader" on a journey from boredom to exciting adventure - a complete round trip out and back home.
Now the finale is available bringing the journey to an exciting close. From being a lonely girl to making a friend to encountering kings, creatures at castles, and enveloped in beautifully enchanting landscapes of water, sky, and land.
Colored is somewhat muted in book #1, the illustrations utilize more color in book #2 and simply explode with color (and excitement) in the finale, #3.
Children enjoy "telling" the story time after time and in their own words as they grasp the details fuller with each reading. Wordless books give a decided opportunity for the parent to help the child to engage more fully in recognizing the tiniest of details that make a story.
In Return the little girl is again very bored and so leaves through the magical door. This time, though, her father notices she is gone and seeing the door open, follows her. An exciting adventure ensues climaxing with a really good reason to return home this time. Aaron Becker's watercolor scenes explode with excitement as he paints the lonely girl's way through this story.
The king and crown, the boy with the purple crayon, the inattentive father, and the little girl desiring to take her red crayon and color her way through some fun and activities bring a pallet of enjoyment to the reader.
I am hosting a #giveaway of the first 2 books on my blog: Chat With Vera - ENDS 7/23/2016 http://chatwithvera.blogspot.com/2016...
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and I was not compensated for the review.
Now the finale is available bringing the journey to an exciting close. From being a lonely girl to making a friend to encountering kings, creatures at castles, and enveloped in beautifully enchanting landscapes of water, sky, and land.
Colored is somewhat muted in book #1, the illustrations utilize more color in book #2 and simply explode with color (and excitement) in the finale, #3.
Children enjoy "telling" the story time after time and in their own words as they grasp the details fuller with each reading. Wordless books give a decided opportunity for the parent to help the child to engage more fully in recognizing the tiniest of details that make a story.
In Return the little girl is again very bored and so leaves through the magical door. This time, though, her father notices she is gone and seeing the door open, follows her. An exciting adventure ensues climaxing with a really good reason to return home this time. Aaron Becker's watercolor scenes explode with excitement as he paints the lonely girl's way through this story.
The king and crown, the boy with the purple crayon, the inattentive father, and the little girl desiring to take her red crayon and color her way through some fun and activities bring a pallet of enjoyment to the reader.
I am hosting a #giveaway of the first 2 books on my blog: Chat With Vera - ENDS 7/23/2016 http://chatwithvera.blogspot.com/2016...
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and I was not compensated for the review.
July 10, 2019
Ενα επικό ταξίδι στη φαντασία. Αυτό είναι η τριλογία του Aaron Becker. Ενα ταξίδι που ξεκινάει από ένα παιδικό δωμάτιο, με πρωταγωνίστρια ένα κορίτσι που μην μπορώντας να τραβήξει την προσοχή της οικογένειάς της (η μαμά της μαγειρεύει, ο μπαμπάς της δουλεύει και η αδερφή της είναι απασχολημένη με το κινητό της), καταλήγει μόνη της στο δωμάτιό της όπου ξαφνικά ανακαλύπτει έναν κόκκινο μαρκαδόρο παρατημένο στο πάτωμα. Θα τον πάρει αμέσως στα χέρια της και θα ξεκινήσει να ζωγραφίζει μια πόρτα στον τοίχο του δωματίου της. Η πόρτα αυτή θα την οδηγήσει σε έναν φανταστικό κόσμο, στον οποίο θα ζήσει μια επικών διαστάσεων περιπέτεια παρέα με ένα αγόρι που έχει κι αυτός στα χέρια του έναν τέτοιο μαγικό μαρκαδόρο. Το πρώτο βιβλίο της τριλογίας του Aaron Becker έχει τιμηθεί με Caldecott Honor το 2014, όταν πρωτοκυκλοφόρησε στην Αμερική, ενώ και τα τρία βιβλία έχουν αναφερθεί και σε μεγάλες εφημερίδες όπως οι New York Times και η Wall Street Journal. Τα βιβλία του αποτελούν ύμνο στη φαντασία χωρίς να περιέχουν ούτε μία λέξη, ενώ παράλληλα μιλούν για την αποξένωση μέσα στην οικογένεια, αλλά και τον τρόπο που τελικά ο γονιός απλώνει το χέρι στο παιδί για να ξανασυνδεθούν. Τα τρία του silent books καταφέρουν να πουν πολλά περισσότερα από άλλα εικονογραφημένα ή μη βιβλία, αφήνουν τον «αναγνώστη» ελεύθερο να δημιουργήσει τη δική του ιστορία, να την πάει όπου εκείνος θέλει παρατηρώντας την εικόνα και να δημιουργήσει διαλόγους εκεί που δεν υπάρχουν. Υπέροχες εικόνες, με πολλές λεπτομέρειες και χρώματα που συνθέτουν μια φανταστική ιστορία που αλλάζει από αναγνώστη σε αναγνώστη.
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http://kokkinialepou.gr/h-trilogia-to...
August 27, 2017
The first two books in this trilogy extol the importance of imagination and storytelling. There’s always the risk in books with those themes of coming off as self-indulgent and vain, but Aaron Becker’s sprawling illustrations soon distracted me from any such musings. All the more reason to applaud his decision to go in a different direction for the final book! While the artwork continues to be resplendent and grandiose, perhaps even more so than before, the plot is much more substantial and less dependent on timeless topics.
You have to be bold as brass to introduce an adult hero into the oft-repeated tale of a neglected child who fancies herself the saviour of a magical kingdom. But now that Becker has done it, I realise for the first time that this is the only fitting end to every little girl’s journey. No amount of glory could have made up for —even if this conclusion renders the second instalment somewhat inconsequential to the overarching story. I also appreciate that the finale embraces fantasy unapologetically; the series still works on the level of metaphor, but this book is affirmation that it doesn’t have to be either/or.
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Image source: http://100scopenotes.com/2016/06/20/e...
You have to be bold as brass to introduce an adult hero into the oft-repeated tale of a neglected child who fancies herself the saviour of a magical kingdom. But now that Becker has done it, I realise for the first time that this is the only fitting end to every little girl’s journey. No amount of glory could have made up for —even if this conclusion renders the second instalment somewhat inconsequential to the overarching story. I also appreciate that the finale embraces fantasy unapologetically; the series still works on the level of metaphor, but this book is affirmation that it doesn’t have to be either/or.
...
Image source: http://100scopenotes.com/2016/06/20/e...
February 13, 2017
#wordless #imagination #attention - great book about a girl trying to get her father's attention
July 19, 2016
I have thoroughly enjoyed the trilogy of wordless books by Aaron Becker that conclude with this book. Not only do the books focus on the joys of imaginary play, but the illustrations are gorgeous and present many opportunities for discussion with young readers. Simply asking a child what he/she sees in the illustrations could lead to some fabulous discussions. The fact that these books also remind me of Harold and his purple crayon doesn't hurt anything as that was a favorite book from my own childhood. Comparing the two books would make for some great conversation as well. As a wordless book, the entire story is told through the illustrations, which in this case are detailed enough for repeated reading not to get boring, especially if the child tells the story. The illustrations are full of variety with two page spreads, single page spreads, and action step by step sequences on a white background. The book flows quickly and smoothly as a father works to get himself back in his daughter's good graces after being unavailable for kite flying. A delightfully rich story told through beautifully placed illustrations. This is a must have!
August 31, 2018
One part Little Nemo in Slumberland with a dash of Harold and the Purple Crayon A fitting finale to the Journey Trilogy.
August 17, 2016
Mmmmm. ❤️
September 14, 2016
A most wonderful ending to the Journey trilogy!
September 26, 2016
I appreciate the inclusion of a parent in the series, though Dad is wide-eyed and paralyzed for most of the story.
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