Book cover of Journey

Book description

Be swept away on an elaborate flight of fancy in this Caldecott award-winning, wondrously illustrated picture book about self-determination and unexpected friendship.

The winner of the prestigious Caldecott Honor, and described by the New York Times as 'a masterwork', Aaron Becker's stunning, wordless picture book debut about self-determination and unexpected…

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Why read it?

6 authors picked Journey as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Wordless picture books are sometimes a bit tricky. How do you “read” them anyways?

But Journey (and its sequels Quest and Return) allow you to dive into the gorgeous artwork and compelling story. Just soak it all in, and you’ll want to set off on your own adventure by the time you're done.

This wordless story begins with a little girl desperate for a playmate from her distracted family. Finally, she resigns herself to her room where she finds a red crayon. With the crayon she draws a door to an enchanted world. There’s a forest, a castle, and an airship all within this richly illustrated adventure.

This one is a wordless, immersive escape into a magical world, a riff off Harold and the Purple Crayon, but with an entire realm within. Our heroine, suffering from loneliness, finds her way into another world with a magic red crayon. This story is one of finding joy, friendship, and magic in the everyday. The detailed pictures are enough to fascinate any thoughtful child who can pour over this enchanting story again and again. 

If you love Journey...

Book cover of The Afterlife of the Party

The Afterlife of the Party by Darcy Marks,

An interdimensional mixer with angels and other beings brings unexpected trouble for Malachi and his friends in this smart and uniquely funny second book about the squad of teens from hell.

When an angel comes to his home to deliver a message, Malachi immediately knows what’s going on. The seraph…

A wordless adventure to a make-believe world. A true masterpiece of illustration. I love having children “read” the pictures in this one. Flying ships, castles, and a magic crayon. Everything you need for an adventure! As a kid who was always drawing (I still draw every day) I love the idea of my drawings coming to life!

Because I like to write stories, I love wordless picture books because the reader tells the story. In Journey, adventures begin when a lonely girl draws a magic door. I love how the journey requires her to problem solve and draw what she needs. When she comes to a river, she draws a boat, but at the waterfall she draws a hot air balloon to escape. When she sees a bird imprisoned, she sets it free, but she’s captured, losing her crayon in the process. The bird returns, crayon in beak, and draws a door. When she goes through,…

This award-winning wordless children’s picture book follows a young girl on an elaborate expedition with a story about self-determination — and unexpected friendship. The lonely child uses a red marker to draw a magic door on her bedroom wall and uses it to escape into a world of adventure, wonder, and risk. The author-illustrator Aaron Becker propels an ordinary girl on an incredible journey toward her most exciting experience of all.

From Jill's list on The best books for young explorers.

If you love Journey...

Book cover of The Afterlife of the Party

The Afterlife of the Party by Darcy Marks,

An interdimensional mixer with angels and other beings brings unexpected trouble for Malachi and his friends in this smart and uniquely funny second book about the squad of teens from hell.

When an angel comes to his home to deliver a message, Malachi immediately knows what’s going on. The seraph…

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