Journey (Aaron Becker's Wordless Trilogy)

What a breath of fresh air. The art is very nice with an emphasis on architecture and larger forms, the story is simple and adventurous with good morals, and the book is a great way to have kids to put their own words to a story. Loved it instantly! Minor spoilers follow. The real reason I wanted to write a review, however, is to provide a counter to the reviews that raise concerns over the philosophy of the book. As the father of two daughters, I find them totally baseless. Two themes stuck out to me from the negative reviews: the 1950's style domestic mom on the intro pages, and the rescue of the heroine. As for the mom, the introductory pages are designed to show an imperfect family. The faults of the home (workaholic dad, electronics obsessed sis, overly domestic mother) are there for a reason: for the flaws! It's anecdotal, but my daughters caught on instantly and "read" the family as flawed. In short, the mom is a not a person to be emulated, so there is no problem. Regarding the heoine's rescue, I almost didn't buy the book because I was concerned over a knight in shining armor riding in to save the day; I dislike that particular deus ex machina. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In the story, the heroine saves a magical creature from the cage, who in return rescues the heroine when she is captured while rendering said assistance. I'm sorry, I have no idea how anyone construes helping others and accepting their help in return as negative... I hope this helps new buyers on the fence. Not everyone is going to like the art, or the price, or the lack of words, but the story and morals are just fine for young children.

I am a reading specialist using my skills as a volunteer reading tutor for the past 17 years in a local public school. My students range from 5-9. When I discovered "Journey" and the series, I was ecstatic - a novel with no words! I used this book with my second and third grade students. This books allows you to teach all the aspects of a novel: characters, location, plot, solution, and theme. Each student created the elements of the story then dictated the text to me as I typed on my computer. When revised, the student read the book to the class as I turned the pages!! The students were so proud of their work; I helped with vocabulary development ,descriptive words, reading interest; they owned their work with their ideas. My students range from low self-esteem, gifted, ELL - this approach can be used with all!!! The pictures are full of detail which invites imagination and awe! Thank you, Aaron Becker.

As a child psychiatrist (who have given lectures about use of children’s books for teaching and development of emotional literacy), mom of two mixed race children (Asian and White), and a Children’s book lover, I was at first excited to discover Aaron Becker’s trilogy. My excitement quickly turned to horror when I realized that the book series depicted two White children protagonists — with the good side depicted as White appearing “soldier” characters in uniforms evoking European ancestry, in a “good” city with visual architectural association to Greco-Roman architecture, fighting against enemy soldiers wearing uniforms evoking traditional Japanese/Asian soldier uniform, in enemy air boat structures, and other architects structures (even the clouds put out by the air boat) with clear visual references to Asian culture. This is APPALLING given the well known issue of implicit bias in our society — and to have the a book Caldecott Honors book (one of three) to be so cavalierly promoted despite the clear visual racist depiction reinforcing a classic orientalist at best, racist at worst, false stereotype. I cannot put into words the anger, disappointment and horror that I feel in this book series being hailed as a positive contribution to children’s literature.

This book has really captivated my 5 year old, and, to be really honest, me too. Without words, it tells the story of a little girl using a red crayon to enter a magical world, beginning with an enchanted forest lit by lanterns. I've sometimes struggled when reading wordless books with my children, but this one really just tells the story itself. The illustrations are incredible -- so detailed and just completely transport you into this magical world. The architecture of the castle, the waterways, and rich sense of place are just amazing. My son loves carefully examining the castle and waterways and magical flying machine. There is real plot here and most definitely bad guys, though they have not scared my 5 year old, who recently got scared of the cat in Disney's Cinderella. But I've chosen not to read this yet with my 2.5 year old. I do appreciate that there is real plot here and even the bad guys. I think we've lost sight of the fact that not all children's literature needs to model perfect behavior and that children do need some stories with conflict to better understand kindness and goodness. I would recommend this for ages 3.5/4 and up depending on where your kiddo is with enjoying things with bad guys in them.

just as in life, this book has layers. pick a layer and follow it. each child and each adult reading this book will tap into a different layer and reveal to you, the listener, something new to be considered in the story. or? this book delivers a sense of wonder, a sense of magical mystery. it feels SO good to imagine again after having not done so as an adult for years. i bought this trilogy for a family with 3 kids (5,7,9) and while i knew the children would each relate to it in individual ways, it was great to learn the parents were touched by the "story" as well. this book delivers whatever it is you want delivered, so reach far and wide for the broadest experience.

My daughter has been learning how to read, but treats it like a chore, so I wanted to get her a book that would spark her imagination and help her fall in love with books in a different way. She loves this book, and best part is she can just sit down and “read” it by herself. It is a story about a girl who is bored at home and uses her imagination and a crayon to problem solve and go on an epic adventure. She tells me the story now. The illustrations are beautiful and detailed and we have fun looking at each picture to find small and almost hidden images. This book is a permanent home library keeper!!!

I use this book in a writing lesson for first graders. We talk about how the illustrations tell the entire story, and then they are each assigned a page to "write the words" and be the author. We then read the book together. It is a great way of reinforcing the use of using the pictures to tell the story with beginning readers. The story in itself is extremely entertaining. The kids are on the edge of their carpet squares, waiting to see what happens next. There are several instances where they infer about things that happen in the book (the use of the colors), which helps them deeply think about the choices Mr. Becker makes. I have "read" this book several dozen times, and I still enjoy reading it.

Journey is really great picture book! It is interesting to us, parents, as well as for our 3,5 years old. There was time when we had to watch (read) it every day for about 2 months (even more times at once!) and tell the story with it, so we tried to tell it every time differently, with different details in mind, adjectives, aims.. If this book would have words, it wouldn't have been what it is. This book is certainly a proof that pictures are worth thousand words. While watching the book I like to think where did author take the ideas from, because you can see architectural characteristics and details and also cultural features you can relate them to certain countries or even cities. And, what I like the most at this book, and I write it at the end, is the story and messages it gives. It's about finding our perfect match, when you have it (usually) in front of you, but you don't see it, with whom you share your unique you and with whom you can make perfect whole. It's about endless imagination and creativity, problem solving and courage. And it's about good acts and that good returns with good.

Journey is a stunning, magical book that sparks the imagination. I love the fact that it has no words, as it allows my toddler and I to explore the images and story unfolding, in an interactive, didactic manner. Usually I don't "read" it to her, we talk about it together, by me prompting her with questions like "what do you see on this page?". Reading a story is no longer about her listening and me talking but instead an activity she has control and input over. I loved this book so much that I went on to buy the sequel, quest as well as some other wordless caldecott winners, including "the lion and the mouse", but so far this one is my favourite.

This is a fantastic book! It's a picture book, and it's so inventive and creative! I "read" it with my niece and she absolutely loved that she could understand the story without having to struggle as a new reader. There are two other books that go with it- Quest and Return, and they are both marvelous as well! The illustrations are intricate and colorful, and I even went through the books on my own because I loved them so much! Highly recommend!!!

What a breath of fresh air. The art is very nice with an emphasis on architecture and larger forms, the story is simple and adventurous with good morals, and the book is a great way to have kids to put their own words to a story. Loved it instantly! Minor spoilers follow. The real reason I wanted to write a review, however, is to provide a counter to the reviews that raise concerns over the philosophy of the book. As the father of two daughters, I find them totally baseless. Two themes stuck out to me from the negative reviews: the 1950's style domestic mom on the intro pages, and the rescue of the heroine. As for the mom, the introductory pages are designed to show an imperfect family. The faults of the home (workaholic dad, electronics obsessed sis, overly domestic mother) are there for a reason: for the flaws! It's anecdotal, but my daughters caught on instantly and "read" the family as flawed. In short, the mom is a not a person to be emulated, so there is no problem. Regarding the heoine's rescue, I almost didn't buy the book because I was concerned over a knight in shining armor riding in to save the day; I dislike that particular deus ex machina. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In the story, the heroine saves a magical creature from the cage, who in return rescues the heroine when she is captured while rendering said assistance. I'm sorry, I have no idea how anyone construes helping others and accepting their help in return as negative... I hope this helps new buyers on the fence. Not everyone is going to like the art, or the price, or the lack of words, but the story and morals are just fine for young children.

I am a reading specialist using my skills as a volunteer reading tutor for the past 17 years in a local public school. My students range from 5-9. When I discovered "Journey" and the series, I was ecstatic - a novel with no words! I used this book with my second and third grade students. This books allows you to teach all the aspects of a novel: characters, location, plot, solution, and theme. Each student created the elements of the story then dictated the text to me as I typed on my computer. When revised, the student read the book to the class as I turned the pages!! The students were so proud of their work; I helped with vocabulary development ,descriptive words, reading interest; they owned their work with their ideas. My students range from low self-esteem, gifted, ELL - this approach can be used with all!!! The pictures are full of detail which invites imagination and awe! Thank you, Aaron Becker.

As a child psychiatrist (who have given lectures about use of children’s books for teaching and development of emotional literacy), mom of two mixed race children (Asian and White), and a Children’s book lover, I was at first excited to discover Aaron Becker’s trilogy. My excitement quickly turned to horror when I realized that the book series depicted two White children protagonists — with the good side depicted as White appearing “soldier” characters in uniforms evoking European ancestry, in a “good” city with visual architectural association to Greco-Roman architecture, fighting against enemy soldiers wearing uniforms evoking traditional Japanese/Asian soldier uniform, in enemy air boat structures, and other architects structures (even the clouds put out by the air boat) with clear visual references to Asian culture. This is APPALLING given the well known issue of implicit bias in our society — and to have the a book Caldecott Honors book (one of three) to be so cavalierly promoted despite the clear visual racist depiction reinforcing a classic orientalist at best, racist at worst, false stereotype. I cannot put into words the anger, disappointment and horror that I feel in this book series being hailed as a positive contribution to children’s literature.

This book has really captivated my 5 year old, and, to be really honest, me too. Without words, it tells the story of a little girl using a red crayon to enter a magical world, beginning with an enchanted forest lit by lanterns. I've sometimes struggled when reading wordless books with my children, but this one really just tells the story itself. The illustrations are incredible -- so detailed and just completely transport you into this magical world. The architecture of the castle, the waterways, and rich sense of place are just amazing. My son loves carefully examining the castle and waterways and magical flying machine. There is real plot here and most definitely bad guys, though they have not scared my 5 year old, who recently got scared of the cat in Disney's Cinderella. But I've chosen not to read this yet with my 2.5 year old. I do appreciate that there is real plot here and even the bad guys. I think we've lost sight of the fact that not all children's literature needs to model perfect behavior and that children do need some stories with conflict to better understand kindness and goodness. I would recommend this for ages 3.5/4 and up depending on where your kiddo is with enjoying things with bad guys in them.

just as in life, this book has layers. pick a layer and follow it. each child and each adult reading this book will tap into a different layer and reveal to you, the listener, something new to be considered in the story. or? this book delivers a sense of wonder, a sense of magical mystery. it feels SO good to imagine again after having not done so as an adult for years. i bought this trilogy for a family with 3 kids (5,7,9) and while i knew the children would each relate to it in individual ways, it was great to learn the parents were touched by the "story" as well. this book delivers whatever it is you want delivered, so reach far and wide for the broadest experience.

My daughter has been learning how to read, but treats it like a chore, so I wanted to get her a book that would spark her imagination and help her fall in love with books in a different way. She loves this book, and best part is she can just sit down and “read” it by herself. It is a story about a girl who is bored at home and uses her imagination and a crayon to problem solve and go on an epic adventure. She tells me the story now. The illustrations are beautiful and detailed and we have fun looking at each picture to find small and almost hidden images. This book is a permanent home library keeper!!!

I use this book in a writing lesson for first graders. We talk about how the illustrations tell the entire story, and then they are each assigned a page to "write the words" and be the author. We then read the book together. It is a great way of reinforcing the use of using the pictures to tell the story with beginning readers. The story in itself is extremely entertaining. The kids are on the edge of their carpet squares, waiting to see what happens next. There are several instances where they infer about things that happen in the book (the use of the colors), which helps them deeply think about the choices Mr. Becker makes. I have "read" this book several dozen times, and I still enjoy reading it.

Journey is really great picture book! It is interesting to us, parents, as well as for our 3,5 years old. There was time when we had to watch (read) it every day for about 2 months (even more times at once!) and tell the story with it, so we tried to tell it every time differently, with different details in mind, adjectives, aims.. If this book would have words, it wouldn't have been what it is. This book is certainly a proof that pictures are worth thousand words. While watching the book I like to think where did author take the ideas from, because you can see architectural characteristics and details and also cultural features you can relate them to certain countries or even cities. And, what I like the most at this book, and I write it at the end, is the story and messages it gives. It's about finding our perfect match, when you have it (usually) in front of you, but you don't see it, with whom you share your unique you and with whom you can make perfect whole. It's about endless imagination and creativity, problem solving and courage. And it's about good acts and that good returns with good.

Journey is a stunning, magical book that sparks the imagination. I love the fact that it has no words, as it allows my toddler and I to explore the images and story unfolding, in an interactive, didactic manner. Usually I don't "read" it to her, we talk about it together, by me prompting her with questions like "what do you see on this page?". Reading a story is no longer about her listening and me talking but instead an activity she has control and input over. I loved this book so much that I went on to buy the sequel, quest as well as some other wordless caldecott winners, including "the lion and the mouse", but so far this one is my favourite.

This is a fantastic book! It's a picture book, and it's so inventive and creative! I "read" it with my niece and she absolutely loved that she could understand the story without having to struggle as a new reader. There are two other books that go with it- Quest and Return, and they are both marvelous as well! The illustrations are intricate and colorful, and I even went through the books on my own because I loved them so much! Highly recommend!!!

I don't know what it is about these books. My daughter was transfixed by it when she was 2. Now she's five with a 2 year old brother. I got it for her this Christmas hoping she would still like it. They both love it. In fact, she was 'reading' it to him last night over dinner. Aaron Becker's trilogy is a fantastic magical world. I'll eventually purchase all these books and will likely keep them forever. What a hit!

JOURNEY is a wordless picture book, so there is no text to write about, but there very much is a story. And the story is wonderful. It's pretty simple: A young girl feels ignored by her family, so she creates a door to her own adventure. I don't see this as an indictment against her family in any way; I see this as showing the benefit of allowing children to get bored so that they will use their imagination. This book does pay homage to several books, most obviously Harold and the Purple Crayon, but I also saw traces of The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Phantom Tollbooth, 1001 Arabian Nights, and just about anything that Jules Verne wrote. The homage feels almost like a love letter to the fantastic children's literature of the past. The artwork in this book is heart-stoppingly beautiful. It is marvelous and magical. It is enchanting and engaging. It is accessible and just plain awesome. This was Aaron Becker's first book. I can't wait to see what he does next.

As an adult I felt a little silly pining over a children's book at the store, but it was so captivating that it kept drawing me in time after time so finally I gave in and bought it. I liked the pictures so much that I bought it so I would have the option to take the pages out and fram them. The pictures are so beautifully done that it brings you back to that sense of awe you felt as a child looking at something pretty. Each page depicts an adventure that this little girl has created for herself out of nothing but her imagination and a marker. It doesn't have any words, but I honestly didn't even notice at first because it doesn't need them. The story is told perfectly without them and in fact words would detract because part of the story is subjective, what you take away from the picture. I know that if I were a kid again I would stare at this book for hours coming up with my own stories. This is the perfect book to spark the imagination of both children and adults.

Aaron Becker - if you haven't, then try it! tell your kids a different story every night with any of his books AND allow their imaginations soar. I would recommend all of his books but this one is one i particularly like. The others have a little more details to follow than this one - but this is still one of my favorites. The only way you will be disappointed is if you were never a child or never had an imagination.

We bought this book, along with Sea of Dreams, as a gift for our four year old grand-daughter, who has actually begun reading on her own. Both books are similar in this way: they tell a magical story without a single word of text. Both books--with very different styles of illustration--are beautiful to look at. I bought copies for myself, just for the pictures. But the books ended up being used in ways we didn't expect: my grand-daughter "told" herself the story, using the pictures; we would tell her the story, using the pictures; we could use the pictures as prompts to get her to think about what was happening in the story, how did she know what was happening, and what she thought would happen next. They became favorites with her.

I am a huge fan of wordless books, I feel like it really makes the children use their language and creativity...plus, the story they create is different each time! You can make it as specific (such as, what they are feeling, what sounds may be heard, etc) or general (just what the picture is illustrating) as you want. Some of the pictures and the general story line may be difficult for younger kids to follow, so I would recommend this for 3rd/4th grade on up. Nice story overall.

I just can’t say enough good things about these books! The beautiful artwork takes you on an adventure without a single word. They challenge you to use your imagination while also providing a storyline that is fun and easy to follow along. My kids loved these books, and were left asking for more! I even bought them for my nieces! Thank you!

There are no words to this book- The 1 star reviews Regarding are disappointing. That being said this is a fabulous book that encourages imagination. My son is always finding new interesting parts, the story slightly changes every night. He's completely in love. He is 2 and big sister is 4 and both love this beautiful story with beautiful illustrations. Great storytelling doesn't need words.

Purchased this on recommendation of a fellow educator. In my opinion it is not a great book for kids as it revolves around a child who appears to have no parental support. Just a series of very dark pictures. I returned the entire set by this author.

I generally only review a book if the kids (6 and 4) really enjoy the book. I hope to eventually get around to books that haven't done as well at home, but just haven't found the time. I loved this book and the kids loved-loved it. It is a new book for them, so I understand the excitement. Only time will tell if this book makes the permanent rotation. The pictures were great, and every time we read the book, we notice something we haven't seen before. We of course referenced "Harold and the Purple Crayon" and discussed what was similar between the two stories and what was different. Both kids loved the ending. I understand the concerns that some parents had about the book being a bit scary, but like other reviewers have noted, it really depends on the child. Our 4 year old is very compassionate and sensitive, but wasn't scared at all. Nice book.

I was taking a children's literature course and we were to select a book and review it. I picked this one because it seemed like it was beautifully illustrated. This is a cute story that follows a young boys journey throughout different realms. There are lots of great symbols and drawings that would be great discussion starters for kids. There aren't any words, but that allows the child to use their own imagination to come up with ideas.

Wonderful art and whimsical story that our 23 month old greatly enjoys. We fill in the blanks for her as she flips through, making up a story as we go. She now asks to see this book a lot prior to bedtime. The inspired use of the brightly colored red and purple crayons/drawings in the book are eye-catching and unique and serve the tale well.

Very cute book, leaving tons to the imagination. My almost five year old loves it, immediately noting the opening pages’ similarity to Harold and his purple crayon. I find her flipping through the pages almost daily, more than a week after the book made its first appearance (and lost its newness).

JOURNEY is a wordless book that is full of imagination and wonder. Filled with beautiful illustrations, the story takes readers on an epic adventure with an amazing young girl and her red crayon. I love that this is a book where the story is told using pictures, vs words. Journey is a picture book that is just that, a book full of pictures. There's a few pictures that I would totally take out of the book to frame and hang in my library, they're that good. Journey is a timeless story that readers of all ages will enjoy. It's a story with an unforgettable adventure that will inspire young minds to pick up their crayons, and allow their imaginations to take them on their own journey.

I love having this book to create our own stories. It opens up little minds to creativity, imagination and endless possibilities for new beginnings and countless endings. Worth every penny!

This book is just fantastic. Along with it's sequel "Quest," it allows the reader to make up as long or short a story as you desire (since there are no written words), which makes reading it a novel adventure for both the reader and the listener. The pictures are breathtaking, the story is really fun - filled with magic,adventure, friendship, good guys and bad guys. I also like the fact that this has a female protagonist. I would "read" this book to any age child, and once they get to be 3 or 4, they can "read" it back to you and enjoy doing so! I give this book to every newborn's parents above everything else.

Contrary to what other people have said, it is clearly his finger, not a gun. Just look at the rest of the artwork and its plain to see. I mean, yes you have to use your imagination to read this book, but let's not get carried away... I think it's a delightful book with awesome artwork that seems to have something new to offer every time I open the book. I love how things tie back into previous pages and apparently subsequent books. My five year old who is still a non-reader loves this book. So what if it's not realistic to draw on air while you're falling, he understand that it's fantasy, and that's what makes it fun. The main character is not only kind and heroic but a quick thinker too. I look forward to getting more books from this author.

A truly amazing book and a welcomed break for parents. Forgoing words forced my son to consider and explain what was happening on each page, which resulted in a more active level of engagement.

Cons: Zero Pros: If you love children's book illustrations, or just art in general, you will appreciate every inch of this book. The story is one that every imaginative kid and artist could relate to. At a time where so many kids' books are inundated with commercialized versions of their favorite movie or cartoon, this book shines with originality, authenticity, and a thought provoking journey that anyone would be willing to join in on.

This trilogy is simply amazing. At first I was hesitant to add this trilogy to our library collection since the books are without words, but after looking through the first few pages of "Journey" I realized that not only did I not want to put it down, but that I needed to order the remaining two books post haste! My fifteen year old daughter loved these books, as well as my library assistants and patrons. They are beautifully done and the story line just feeds the imagination. I found myself dreaming up vocabulary to go with the watercolors. What a treat. I hope that Mr. Becker has more in store for us in the future!

This book is wonderful! I encourage and challenge all parents and caregivers to step out of their reality and into this story and let your imagination lead the way, your kids won't forget it. Read everyday!

I knew going in that this is a wordless book. Our 4 yo son is very imaginative, so I was hopeful he'd enjoy the book. I wasn't wrong. He LOVED it and twas able to follow what was happening. He asked for the rest of the books in the trilogy, so am buying now.

I was not prepared for how amazing this picture book would be. My three and half year old and I snuggled in to "read" it the night it came in. Seriously, this is stunning artwork and an amazing imaginary adventure. I get a chuckle out of the fear mongering about the guns in it, there are not any. Its done (amazingly) in watercolors so the details are softened. You could read this book 1000 times and see something different to talk about!! I can't wait to add the sequels to our collection!

This is, in my opinion, an essential book for parents and non-parents alike. It is a work of literature, stunning in its artistry, poetic in its imagery, minimalism, and allusions. What you have here is a wordless storybook. It is, I would suggest, more a work of art, a collection of linked paintings that tell a story. Our main character (nameless), seeks refuge from her disconnected life in the adventures she creates with her red crayon. Sound like a book we've all read and loved? Stay with me. She journeys, with her crayon, into a beautifully imagined world and an adventure. I really don't want to ruin the BRILLIANT (boy how I wish FB would let me italicize) twist ending, but I will say that this is so much more than an homage to HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON, it is an extension of it, a tribute to it, a joining of worlds. I read this book with my three-and-a-half-year-old son last night and he was enthralled. In spite of the fact that there were no words, he was gripped. Why? The lack of a defined way of telling this story allowed us to tell it ourselves. Tonight, when we read it again, it will be slightly different. New words will be used to give voice to the story told through the images. Every time we read this book, it will become new. That is special. I can't speak highly enough of this book. Even as an adult I read it and appreciate what it does. Absolutely stunning. Brilliant in every way. Please, do yourself a favor, spend the fourteen or fifteen bucks and get this. Cherish it. Because your child (or you) will read it at 3, at 5, at 10, at 16, at 30, at 80. This is a book I would, as a teacher, work into units from kindergarten through graduate school. How many books can you say that about? Incredible.

This was a darling book. My granddaughter's favorite color is RED and this "wordless" stroy revolved around a girl going on a journey drawn by her little red crayon. The pictures are amazing and once you make up some of the words to go along with the story, your child will pretend to read it themselves. For the youngest 3 to adult ages would love this.

I purchased this book for a student who has a wonderful imagination, and prefers to re-create the story in her mind once she reads the words. This was the perfect book to let her tell the story without knowing anything about it beforehand. She has created several different scenarios based on what she picks up in the pictures with each viewing. A wonderful book for the creatively imaginative mind of a child.

Fun book, let’s the child tell the store from what they see in the picture. The story can change according to what they focus on.

Second purchase. Gifted to my young niece several years ago. Finally added the trilogy to my collection.

This is a lovely book for those children who either love using their imagination, or need to develop one.

Journey is a simple story of a girl exploring a magical land with the help of her magic crayon. Told entirely without words, Aaron Becker's imaginiative artwork creates whole new worlds for readers to explore. From a Venice-inspired city filled with canals and aquaducts to a steam-powered airship manned by samurai Journey is filled with imagination and wonder. I've been reading it to our twin girls and look forward to the day they can read it back to me.

Just not our taste. The cover is beautiful and the book from the outside is impressive. Once we looked at it we were done. I had hoped it would have sparked a new ending or imagination each time we looked at it.

Such a beautiful book. I'd like my son to grow up with creative imagination and this book, I think, opened the door for what an imagination can do and where it can take us. I liked the fact that there was no words so it was an enthusiastic challenge for me to find the right dialogue that matches with each page. But because the picture tells everything, it's nothing hard at all to just imagine the conversation, so it's great fun for both my son and me. I want to buy this for my niece and nephew too.

Gorgeous images fill each page. There's no text explaining the story, so this makes an ideal book to have a child "read" to you. We used it as a guest book at our baby shower and had guests sign the pages with a silver or gold marker.

This is an incredible book! I've used it with kids in my therapy practice and it's a fantastic tool as well as a beautifully illustrated story! Will definitely be purchasing the other books in the series.

Such a beautiful book. To be honest, I didn't thoroughly read the description of the book or the reviews before I ordered it. I just saw that it was a best seller and had one a book award, and wanted to add it to my 2.5 year old's collection. I was surprised when I first received it, but have grown to really love it and I know that it will bring us lots of joy in the coming years as my son uses his imagination as well. This would make a unique gift for anyone with a young child.

I use this story as an activity to teach and practice the reading strategies of making inferences, understanding symbolism and recognizing foreshadowing with my 7th grade intensive reading and 7th grade advanced language arts classes. I love it, the kids love it. Wonderful story.

Great book. Enjoyed making up stories to go with the illustrations. My 3 year old enjoys making up stories for it too.

Get all three! Wonderfully stimulating to the imagination!

I love how the lack of words allows us as parents to leave the child to tell us the story for once. There's a lot of detail and the artwork is excellent. My son loves making up tons of details that are not in the book so in a sense it exercises his imagination. We love reading this collection of books

A very beautiful story with no words!!! My preschoolers were very into the unfolding story!!! It gave them so many amazing ideas for building in the block center!!!

First of three splendid book without words. So entranced was I by this journey that I bought all three books. Hope they will spark the imaginations and creativity and pleasure of many children in a school in San Antonio, Texas. I sent them there, courtesy of my son, a teacher (and a creative, imaginative man).

Have to say I was at first hesitant to purchase a wordless book for my 3 year old, but she absolutely loves it! It allows her to use her imagination to come up with a storyline which is wonderful for her creativity. The graphics are very well done and tell a nice story by themselves. I'm still surprised how many times this comes off the bookshelf. Very happy with the purchase and highly recommend.

This book is beautiful and captures the imagination of children and adults alike. And ever since we got this book, my 4.5 year old wants to put chalk doors on the walls of our house...I've tried to convince him that a door can go on the sidewalk...but its just not as cool. Anyway in honor of this book we are putting a chalk wall in our kids' kid cave so they can chalk their own doors on a wall...

Who knew that gorgeous story telling could be done with a single printed word? My son and I fell in love with this book and the next two. We regularly change the "story" to add details that we didn't notice in prior readings. And, Becker has done a fantastic job with hiding clues and details in the pictures. A lovely series for young and old alike.

This is a short but beautiful book. I bought it for my two young boys (under 6) and has no words. The illustrations though are fantastic enough to carry the story but I think the real value of the book is the ability for you or your children to lose themselves in this little made up world. Lots of detail and ingenuity in pages which are something that can be picked up again and again over the years.

I checked this book out of the library first and bought it instantly. Since there are no words it allows parents and children to be extremely creative and come up with their own stories over and over. I am a teacher and always looking for books that inspire creative thought and the beautiful images definitely allow for fun and imaginative play.

It arrived with a ripped jacket :(

Beautiful story all narrated without words. A book that takes us from the boring city life, to the incredible world inside the girl's head. The art is beautiful and the use of color is brilliant. First book of a series of adventures!

Beautiful book. There are no words, but the story tells it self, and there is plenty of room to weave a tale for your little one. It's a great experience, I have both of the books.

Nice drawings but nothing special..

At the time of the purchase, my daughter was not yet ready to read. But she was a very visual person and loved looking at pictures. If you want to help your child develop their creative dimension of their brain... this is a must have. Ironically, I think she's learned to love reading from a book with no words.

I disagree with the age range on all 3 books. When I first encountered Journey, I was captivated...so were my 4-6 grade students! This is not simply 4-8 years old. Unfortunately, publishers fail on age range constantly, especially wordless picture books, barring them from an older group of children. I used this book to teach inference, and it delivered very nicely.

This beautiful, evocative, moving book is full of art that makes you want to study the picture and THEN makes you want to get inside it and see around the corners, the world is so rich and full. And yet the story is also a lovely, personal one, about a lonely city kid who finally makes a connection with another kid of similar imagination, who has been there all along, awaiting discovery.

This is a wonderful book for age 6 to adults. Particularly good for struggling readers—able to follow the story w/o words. Can be “read” multiple times w/ subtle turns/interpretations on what’s developing .

I have read this book (checked from the library) many times. I say "read" but the book is actually wordless. My grandson picks out details about the story and stays very involved in it to the end. Now I have a copy of my own. Interesting story with wonderful illustrations. I don't want to give away the storyline, but I am sure you will find it fascinating.

Arguably my favorite children's book ever. Lavish, stunning, take-your-breath-away unforgettable. I don't want to spoil anything---but when you get to the last page, make SURE you then flip back to the first one to understand how the story comes full circle.

I presented this book to my second grade class. I warned them that they had to gather in close (all 24 of them), and read with their eyes, no talking. You could hear a pin drop...and these were 7-year olds!! It was incredible! It's our new favorite. Just wonderful. So many thoughts and ideas. "Readers" write the story in their minds. It was just beautiful!

My granddaughter loves to “read” this book aloud to herself. I’ll surely be following up with #2 and 3 of the trilogy.

This wordless book is full of incredibly detailed, beautiful illustrations of a young girl on her "journey." The toddlers I work with are so enchanted by this book that I immediately purchased a copy for my 2 year old cousin, who also loves it. The book seems to reveal something new every time you share it together.

People love it. I wasn’t impressed. Some none word books really pull you on an adventure. This one didn’t quite get us.

Gorgeous illustrations, and a wonderful vacation into your imagination - and the imagination of anyone who shares this beautiful book with you. This book beautifully reminds you that flights of fancy alone are wonderful - and sharing them with others - for example, the kid with the purple marker - changes and increases your adventure.

This book is amazing! The pictures soak you up. The colors are vibrant. And there are no words at all, so you can tell the story based on your child's language ability and their personal interests and taste.

Amazing pictures! I love how you make up the story as you go along and the beautiful pictures inspire my kids to use their imaginations and be creative.

This is one of our favorite books at our house. We bought this a year ago and we still read it over and over again. Stunning artwork, interesting cues, and beautiful story.

The book has arrived with all pages torn out.

A beautiful book that my children and I love. There are no words in this book, only gorgeous artwork. Sometimes I tell them a story, and sometimes they tell it to me. <3 <3

Great book for a lesson at the art museum

My son loves this book, and it is really fun to "read" all three books in this series together. The illustrations are great, and it's easy to use our imaginations as we "read" this book.

We love this book! The pictures are great, there's so many nuances that you don't notice the first few times. My three year old lives to read this story to me, and he does a great job explaining what he thinks is happening. Visually gorgeous, and a great story to boot.

This book is gorgeous all around, and I LOVE the way it allows for parent and child to engage, and use their creativity on making up the story. This is one of my daughter's favorite books, and it is very much like a combination of "Harold and the Purple Crayon" meets "In the Night Kitchen". BUY THIS, you will not regret it!

When I first saw this book I just about cried. The illustrations are beautiful and remind me of my daughter who passed away 5 years ago. This book gave me comfort in that my daughter went ahead of me on her journey.

I love this book! I use it with my ELL students.

THis is an awesome book, my child loves it, but I didn't realize it had no text when I bought it. But it was a pleasant surprise as my child can make up her own stories, or if I read it, I can make up my own. WHen there is no text, we take a lot more time to look at the pictures. It's fun to look at the details, lots of connected hints from the beginning of the book to the end. Highly recommended.

Great book

This book has no words, just beautiful artwork that tells the story of a young girl who follows her imagination to grand adventures! I love the flow and how children move through the book at their own pace, taking in all the beautiful details on each page.

This is an incredible book! There are zero words but endless possibilities in reading it. I named the girl "Josephine" because the author dedicated it to "Josephine." My son wants to read it every night, and he told me the other day, "It helps me dream better." I HIGHLY recommend this book.

This is mom's favorite book. I think it is clever, imaginative and beautiful. 5 year old only just likes it, not loves it. He will play along only because he knows how much I love it. We lost it on a trip and I was devastated. Kiddo was not ha ha ha. I bought a new one anyway because it is that cool.

Our kids are 2 and 4, and we all love this book. The pictures tell the story, but there are no words, so you find your own words to tell the story. If the 2 yo is with us, we can keep it simple and keep turning the pages. If it's just his big brother, we can take our time and have more details - and now that we've been through it many times, he has started telling the story himself. The illustrations are gorgeous - intricate enough to linger over, but simple enough to take in at a glance. We hope this author will create more books like this!

A beautifully illustrated story. It concerns a bored little girl, mum, dad & brother are all too busy (smart 'phones, computer games or laptop). Sulking in her bedroom, she notices a crayon, it's magic!, she draws a door on the wall & enters . . . . "and that's as far as I will tell, the rest you will find out". That's what I tell neighbours kids I've lent it to! A book of clever discovery and altogether brilliant. Worthy of the Silver Caldicot Medal.

My four year old son LOVED this. This, and it's "sequel", Quest, are two of his most requested bedtime books. He loves the fact that he can make up the story a little differently every time. The pictures are beautiful, and I enjoy it as much as he does.

This is the coolest children's book series I have ever seen! The watercolor artworks are stunning and the images speak for themselves quite literally. I absolutely love the creative, complex, and highly detailed world the book immerses you in. I was fascinated in storytelling and how the reader can interpret the images and tell the story however they want and in whatever language they speak. As a young artist, this gave me more hope for illustration and its' significance in books.

2 year old is loving this book. He likes pointing out what he recognizes and I like pointing out new things-of which there are many.

...and adults to enjoy together. Although no words are in this beautifully drawn book, the imagination of you & your child(ren) will soar as you make up the story together! I read it to my grandson's 2nd grade class, or rather, they read it to me; 23 different stories came from these kids looking at the gorgeous drawings. It is wonderful!!

Every teacher needs this book! I can teach kindergarten or 12th grade with this. Amazing art! The students didn't want to put it down!!

My daughter loves this book. There are no words, just beautiful drawings that allow me to tell the story to her the way I interpret it.

An amazing book! My son loved it and his grandmother read it over face time. It really gives the child the chance to use his imagination to jump into the story. There are no words but the pictures tell the story perfectly and gives the child the opportunity to tell the story himself! Highly reccomend!!

Love having this wordless picture book as part of my collection for my students. Great pictures for them to describe!

I bought this book as a gift but I read through it prior to shipping it. What gorgeous art! The story, expressed only by the pictures, was sweet and easy to see. With so much to see on each page this book will be an adventure every time it is read. Even though it is a children's book, I enjoyed it and as a parent I am sure that makes it a pleasant experience for both adult and child.

Seriously. I initially bought this for my niece - But TOO BAD Niece-of-mine!! I'm keeping it at MY PLACE. You can visit it when your parents bring you to visit me! This book has ZERO words, but the story is just lovely. The gist is this: Use your imagination to problem solve in a magical fantasy world.

A lonely girl finds a magic piece of chalk that enables her to go on an exciting adventure. NO TEXT!!! The reader must look closely at the wonderful illustrations and decide what is happening. She and the reader must make the journey and be changed. This book supports imaginative thinking which children NEED today.

What a beautiful book. I was hesitant to introduce it to my two year old twins, thinking they would want text, but it's now one of their favorite books. We love to look at the illustrations and tell the story to each other. In fact, this book sparks their imagination more than any other we have.

I bought this to "read" to my toddler; the content is a too mature for him. I enjoyed the illustrations.

Beautiful illustrations with high levels of detail let the reader imagine the story for themselves. With no words to accompany the illustrations, this is a very unique book, and one that can be "read" by those at all reading-comprehension levels :) The story is fun and imaginative as the main character travels through really fantastical places.

This wordless picture book has much to say. The story takes place in a little girl's room with a red crayon. Throughout the story she has a fantastic adventure. This book would be great to teach multiple lessons in a classroom such as theme, creativity, voice, or inferring. It would work very well with lower level students because they can read the story easily.

Bought this after checking it out from the library. The kids love looking through it. All the drawings are so detailed and just nice to look at.

We love this series (this is #1 in the series), and it's also one of the best books without words for kids.

Powerful wordless story with beautiful illustrations.

Amazing ideas in this book! My students love talking about each scene - perfect for speech therapy!

I bought two of these - one for myself and one to give as a gift. It is wonderful! We live with too many words .... nice to have something that inspires the imagination! The artist is magnificent! Highly recommend this book for any child - but especially an 'artist' child.... spark the imagination!

I love books without words, because it's a great way to introduce young readers to story telling. This book has a wonderful and clear tale, with gorgeous pictures and a happy ending. I got it for my 3-year-old niece, and it quickly became one of her favorite books.

I bought this more for myself, as the pictures looked really beautiful, and thought my son would not really "get" it since he is only two. (i know i can't be the only parent who has done this after night after night of talking animals and muppets going potty). I sat down to show it to him, kind of assuming he would find it all too abstract (and i thought it may be a little scary for him). I was surprised and pleased that it seems to have really captured something in his imagination, he ha asked for it daily since then and carried it around. we have downplayed the scary factor but i can see how it could be too scary for some kids. this was one of those "your kid may surprise you" moments, to see his interest in the pictures and a very basic grasp of adventure and excitement was pretty cool. when he asks for it i think about years to come in narnia and middle earth and hogwarts and feel pretty excited!

A lovely story - was perfect to read to my grandson, who was not feeling so well. Actually, no words, just beautiful pictures for the reader to view and/or discuss. I would buy it again for that special child.

My first graders really loved the art work. The illustrations were captivating. The red color through out the book led our eyes to it every time. Then, the purple color came to light. The kids wanted to re-read it right after reading it once!

The illustrations are rich and detailed, but clear enough for a toddler to follow. My 2 1/2 year old loves reading this by herself and with me. I enjoy being able to put my own words to the story. I wish there were more wordless picture books like this!

This book takes Harold's Purple Crayon one step further and deeper. A story of a girl with determination and grit, freeing a captured bird and finding friendship in a world where she feels a little outcast. Beautiful, beautiful book.

I teach 3 year olds. As part of our curriculum, we study different cultures. When I came across this book, I had to have it. It's gorgeously done in soft colors and the story is easy enough for a child to follow. If I had to use one word to describe it, I'd say 'enchanting'.

I’m a speech therapist and truly appreciate a visually interesting, but wordless book. It allows my older kids with lower reading abilities to explore literature at their level and pace.

There are some little details in the pictures that you notice as you "read" the book again and again. I also think the story of a lonely kid who wants somebody in their family to play with them is one that resonates with a lot of young children. Great book for using your imagination.

This is an amazing book. The rich colors and openness of the story allow for a great exploration of the imagination. The book l had wrinkled pages and some ink bleeding. Nothing major, but still down voted.

I work in a Library and saw this on the shelf and was drawn to it immediately. This book is so charming, from the end papers, to the title page, right up to it's finish. I loved it so much I had to buy a copy for myself. The book's illustrations will keep you glued, I was pressing my nose up to it so I could take in all the tiny detail. It really is magical. I high recommend it!

Beautiful illustrations

This is an amazing beautiful book! I use it all the time in therapy! The kids love looking through it and its great to use for spontaneous speech in therapy. I would recommend this book and am even planning on buying the others in this series.

I ordered this book due to it's status as a Caldecot winner. I didn't really do any research beforehand, so I was a bit surprised (and concerned) when it arrived and I realized it didn't have ANY words in it. I must say, we LOVE this book. My daughter really enjoys "reading" it and making up her own words to narrate the story. It's very easy to follow - after all, a picture is worth a thousand words. Highly recommend this book.

Beautiful book, and tells a very imaginative story that kids are free to supplement/make up. One of my 3-year-old's favorites.

I bought this for my granddaughters and we loved "reading" it together and discovering the story through the gorgeous illustrations. My oldest granddaughter (3.5) especially loved the page where the girl (we named her "Emmajoan") goes through the red door into the magical forest.

This book is amazing. Every night I read it, I change the story of the journey slightly. My 3 year old loves the pictures and likes to ask a lot of questions that inspire out journey.

The art is great, story is not very long but engaging for the 4 year-old in my house. Would easily recommend to any family with kids.

Cannot say enough great things about book. No words, but after goin through a couple of times the kids started to get into the rhythm taking in the story by exploring the pictures. Great gift for young girls. Delivered on time

One of my favorites and I collect picture books.

incredible illustrations and amazing story line!

I was skeptical when i first purchased this ~ And now, I truly love having my 4-1/2 yr old granddaughter tell me the story as she turns the pages in this book ~ And today, she informed me this is her favorite book ❤ I HIGHLY RECOMMEND

My almost 3-year old LOVES this book and it has become one of my favorites too. There are no words in it, just beautiful pictures. We now take turns telling one another the story which I especially love because we get more creative and are not limited by the words of an author. I highly recommend.

Every child should have this book.

I tutor elementary students with dyslexia and it's great to use beautifully illustrated books so the kids can create the stories without the frustration of reading. This is a favorite.

My two-year-old daughter loves this. It doesn't have any words, just huge illustrations. So I make up the story and use lots of pointing when I read it. She calls it her "boat book". The book wasn't 99 cents or anything, but it's a nice book and supports a new author/artist. So I'm happy to spend the money.

This was an amazing book. Beautifully Illustrated and a truly imaginary book Without words but understood with Pictures. Magical ! The children I gave It to immediately got out paper and markers to do their own journey.

I have not yet given this book to my son, although I am sure he will pour over it. I have looked through it and look forward to sharing it will him. The pictures are wonderful and it captures the imagination. The use of a bold color to keep you focused on the main character is great. What an amazing adventure to magnificent and magical places.

The art in this book is just gorgeous. There are no words, only pictures, so your little storyteller can say whatever they want to. It's so creative and we've spent ages just looking at all the details on each page.

Unique, and beautiful. This book is so visually appealing to children, it is perfect for struggling readers who "hate" reading because there are no words. Yet it is useful for building vocabulary through discussion and it is great for allowing students to create their own story.

My children adore this book! It's a great book for them to fall asleep look at - the pictures are beautiful and they love looking at them trying to find new details. The sequel is also just as fantastic, but they are best when together.

A rare book. An outstanding feeling, touching and with fine and important details. We can talk and talk about it with my 5y.o. And we can learn from it and we can wonder and we can admire. A big book for small people.

We have purchased this book many times to give an birthday gifts for my daughters 4 year old friends. Every one has loved it, parents and kids. Beautiful pictures and imagery. Wonderful for sparking the imagination.

When I first received the book, I didn't get it......no words. Then, I realized my grandchildren will use their own imagination and make up their own story. The story can change over and over again. Amazing idea!!

Beautiful artwork but there are no words so it's not really a 'story time' kind of book. Great for bigger kids or even adults but not so much small children or infants.

My just turned two year old daughter absolutely adores this book. We don't have to read it five times a day, like some of her books. But we do read it probably four or five times a week. We're at the point where she can almost tell me the story herself. The artwork is truly phenomenal. Not only does my daughter love this book, I do too!

I bought this book for my nephew, who has had some trouble reading. I love that this story can be different for each person.

Gorgeous illustrations make this story a joy to 'read' together. No words means we make up our own and constantly enjoy discovering new details in these beautiful pages. Very reminiscent of the graphics in Myst, for any gamers out there :)

Beautiful illustrations. The book is wordless, which encourages me to create the narrative myself. When my daughter is older and can talk, I'm sure it'll be a wonderful learning tool.

So powerful, yet totally wordless! Great for kids of all ages! ...and adults honestly!

The illustrations in this wordless book are beautiful and small imaginations will have lots to talk about with the adventure that takes place.

This is one of the coolest books I've ever seen. I just love it. Its a gift for my grandchild! :)

This wordless book is awesome! I would love to have the kind of magic found in the pages of this book. The pictures are incredible--I hope it wins a Caldecott this year!

An amazing adventure tale told without words. This book and its companion Quest have changed story time at our house for good! Because these books have no words our three year old can "read" them to us. He delights in explaining the action on each page, and the pictures are so detailed that 6 months later we are still finding new things to discuss.

A beautifully illustrated, and a lovely story line. Great for sparking the imagination. I would get this again as a gift.

This is a completely wonderful book. I learned the hard way, via a scrunched page, that very little ones may not have the patience to find all the small fascinating details that are present and enrich this story told without words.

Beautiful picture book where the images alone show a magical journey to a world rich with color and detail. Perfect for a child old enough to tell the story in his / her own words (the book itself contains no text).

There are no words so sometimes I find it difficult to come up with something, but you know what? My daughter does not care! She fills in where I might stop. She remembers things I said from previous nights and helps tell the story. It's genious. A very bonding book for bedtime.

Gorgeous illustration.

Both my two and five year old boys love this book. The illustrations are beautiful and inspiring. The story is magical and sweet. I highly recommend this book.

Granddaughters love the book.

My 5 had a lovely time telling Mimi all about this fanciful story. That she has the opportunity to change the tale with every visit makes it even more magical. Beautiful, detailed illustration adds to the delight.

Great, thanks

I guess it probably said somewhere that this story has no words it's a picture book. It does offer a great opportunity to use your imagination and it's cute.

Wonderful book. I teach art and use this for a lesson in narrative art. The illustrations are beautiful.

No words are necessary for 'readers' of any age. Becker takes his audience on an imaginative and magical journey through his wonderful pictures. Can't wait to sit with my granddaughter and begin our own "Journey."

So glad I purchased. Beautiful pictures that tell a touching story. I needed to sit with my daughter and prompt her with questions in order for her to understand what to do with a book that doesn't have words. But she caught on quickly. Will buy from this author/illustrator again!

This is a beautiful book, it definitely helps children learn how to harness their imagination. My five year old son and I have had in depth conversations about what is going on in the book. Great for learning sequencing.

My 7 and 5 year old grandkids love this book. there are no words in it. You follow the pictures and use your imagination. Very great pictures and such a cute story and well job by the author. Delightful book.

This book is not just for children. It spans the ages with it's beautiful illustrations, and allows the reader to open the world to their own mind's journey. My 5 year old son immediately read it to himself on first look. Wonderful, and should be a part of everyone's library.

This book is magical in that it has no words. The story is yours and your child to make as you interpret the pictures. It stretches the imagination. Older children can tell the story to younger ones without regard to their reading skills. Brilliant!

A beautiful book that I'm looking forward to giving my granddaughter for Christmas, No words, but very clear drawings which move the story along in a fantastic universe of the imagination.

Beautiful book! Touching story...I cried a little at the end. Great for teaching children to use their imagination and to embrace themselves.

My granddaughter is a blooming artist in 2nd grade. She loves this book and it's imaginary qualities. Perfect for her color "seeing" eye. This one made a splash for her birthday this year.

I think I bought this more for myself than for my baby (now 14 months). He's a little young for it so we don't always make it through the whole thing but it's a beautiful book.

BAD on the award winning sticker on the cover, it's wrinkled. Funny.

tell your own version of the journey

with no words, these beautiful illustrations can be whatever story you want it to be. we change it a little each time we read it as we notice something new in the details each time.

Wonderful book, wonderful story! This is one my daughter's favorites. We have given it as a birthday gift to several kids ages 3 to 7 and the feedback from their parents has been wonderful.

Love it! Gives my Grandson a chance to use his imagination. He can "read" the story to me.

Intriguing story for children.. well written with great graphics

This book has wonderful drawings. There are no words. Its very special to have my child "read" the book to me and make up the story to go with the pictures.

Though ostensibly created for young children, the beauty of Becker's debut, his wordless storybook, also presents something for the rest of us. Don't rush through it, but spend some time lingering over each page, filling the cup of your own imagination from the richly beautiful illustrations. Read it with a child, and watch the magic unfold. Read it by yourself, and rediscover your own sense of enchantment. If this wonderful book doesn't touch your heart, have someone check your pulse.

Beautifully illustrated! An excellent "Tell me a story" book!

A nice book. I enjoyed it.

My son(4year old)like this book so much. As parents we love it too. It's so impressive,we are moved by this book.

A book you'll have to go though time and again to find all the details. This actually was a gift for an adult, and it was enjoyed and cherished! I saw this book and found the artwork captivating, so I decided a family member (who can't get out much) could use a "vacation" from the Winter weather, and this book delivered!

such an amazing book