Journey

by Aaron Becker, published 2013

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You may be wondering why the above quote from the book is blank. It’s simple…this is a children’s book without a single word. Is it great children’s literature, worthy of being on this website? Absolutely, because the literature comes from the children themselves.

For the most part, I don’t review illustrated books on the website, as my interest has been in books that encourage and support children’s literacy. However, with a children’s book like this one, it actually does a great deal for literacy without using words. One of the skills that emerging readers must develop is the ability to follow a sequence, whether it is words in a sentences, sentences in a paragraph, or paragraphs in a story. When a child is given a book such as this, and parents encourage them to tell the story out loud in their own words, it develops a very necessary narrative skill in the children. I’ve used this book with second grade students, who not only tell a lovely story, but discover things in the illustrations that I never noticed.

This is a beautifully done children’s book, with illustrations that are imaginative and evocative, and a plot that is complex in its own way. Cultivating and nurturing imagination is the key to children’s love of reading. I can’t wait to read this one with my grandson. Enjoy!
Find this at your local bookstore