Monday Reading - A Giveaway!

           Every Monday, it's a pleasure to link up with a group that reviews books they want to share with others. Come discover new books!

          Visit Jen at Teach MentorTexts and Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders to see what they've been reading, along with everyone else who link up.   

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         At last, after waiting for a long while, Aaron Becker's Journey Trilogy comes to an end with another gorgeous adventure to sink into, Return!

        Aaron Becker enthralled us with Journey, a wordless picture book that held a stern message to parents who are spending too much time away from their children. A young girl is shown to be so lonely that she draws herself into an adventure, filled with the wonder of a castle with all its elements. The illustrations keep one on each page for a long, long time admiring the details, and then discovering more! They are spell-binding! There is sadness, adventure, and a special surprise at the end. I imagine using this to tell stories, to find one's own red crayon and take off on a new adventure.  This book was named a Caldecott Honor book in 2014.
        

          As this young girl ended that fantastical Journey, a boy joined her in Quest. I wondered if Aaron Becker could show us another story so filled with adventure as he did with Journey, and he did. Again, I pored over the beautiful, detail-filled pages, finding new things each time while enjoying the story. This time, the children help save a friendly king, in what appears to be an overthrow of his kingdom. They are helped by a purple bird, experience one escape in an underwater adventure, with even the bird having its own air tank!  I loved anticipating the “what’s next” and think it would be wonderful to sit with a small group, each one adding to a group story. What a terrific book!

Thanks to Candlewick Press, I'm able to offer a giveaway for these first two books in this trilogy. Return's book birthday is August 2nd, just a few weeks from now!

      It's a challenge to review this final book and not give anything away. I want readers to have the joy of discovery themselves. This time, finally, the father notices his little girl is gone, we know off on another adventure with her friend. However, all he sees is a dropped kite, yes, that same red kite that we know she would love to fly, with her father! He's off to find her, and becomes immersed in a "JOURNEY" with his child and her friend. You will love the ending. Illustrations again fill the mind with lovely color-filled detail in this story finale.

 Here are several links that will add to the wonder of these books:

Interview video with Aaron Becker

Journey Book Trailer

Q&A with Illustrator

Journey Trilogy Activity Kit

Quest Book Trailer
Q&A with Illustrator

Guide to reading a Wordless Book

Return Book Trailer

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       I wanted to be sure to share this giveaway, will return with reviews of all the other wonderful books I've been reading. I just finished Serafina And The Twisted Staff by Robert Beatty. and have started Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson.