Author/Illustrator: Aaron Becker
Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Grade Level: Preschool – 3
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Candlewick
Release Date: August 6, 2013
Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars
Kids have the best imaginations. I remember when I was a kid, I used to dream up the craziest stuff and wish that it would all come true. I would give anything to be back in that world. When I saw “Journey”, I felt that connection. “Journey” is a wordless picture book about self-determination and unexpected friendship. I wasn’t blown away by the illustrations but I enjoy the encouragement for kids to follow their own adventures.
Official Premise: A lonely girl draws a magic door on her bedroom wall and through it escapes into a world where wonder, adventure, and danger abound. Red marker in hand, she creates a boat, a balloon, and a flying carpet that carry her on a spectacular journey toward an uncertain destiny. When she is captured by a sinister emperor, only an act of tremendous courage and kindness can set her free. Can it also lead her home and to her heart’s desire?
I thought the line work and colors usage was interesting, I wasn’t completely in love with it but it did sort of draw me in. This book was inspired by Author/Illustrator Aaron Becker’s own traveling to various places including Kenya, Japan, Sweden, and Tahiti, which fed his imagination for “Journey”. This was his first book and I am curious to see what he is going to come up with next.
