Return

Starred review from July 1, 2016

K-Gr 4-In this satisfying conclusion to the magnificent picture book trilogy, the young heroine once again tries to get her aloof illustrator father's attention and, failing, departs from her mundane sepia-colored world to a fantastical realm via a door she draws with her magic red crayon. This time, her father follows in her footsteps and catches up to her and her friends in the majestic and mysterious city. When crayon-thieving soldiers attack, epic escapades ensue as the duo and their friends flee, then discover a clever solution to defeating their foes that results in father and daughter finally bonding in a touching finale. Like its predecessors, this wordless tale brims with excitement and adventure. Becker's stunning watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations depict a breathtaking world that captivates without a written narrative-and one that readers will want to come back to again and again. VERDICT Though this title relies somewhat on the audience's knowledge of the previous books, it is an absolute must for any collection and will draw new fans just as it will delight those who enjoyed the previous two installments.-Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2016
This third, wordless installment (Journey, rev. 9/13; Quest, rev. 9/14) brings the story full circle, beginning and ending in the same city brownstone shown in the first book. While Return can be enjoyed on its own, fans will find rewarding similarities to, and subtle differences from, the other books. As before, a lonely girl draws a door with a red crayon leading her to a steampunk-meets-fantasy kingdom. This time, though, the girl's previously preoccupied father gets up from his drafting table and follows her into the fantasy world to share in the adventure. The boy with a purple crayon and the kind king are back, as are the evil baddie and his soldiers. The latter are in pursuit of the purple bird from the earlier books -- which the girl and her father mightily protect. Becker is at his best creating lush, mysterious landscapes that can be enjoyed for their own sake. Quest's complicated plot elements forced readers to solve puzzles rather than enjoy the journey itself; Return's plot is, happily, simpler, but observant readers will still find plenty of questions to ponder. What is the father's role in this adventure? Why does his home office now contain only books and pictures that relate to the Journey world? What is the significance of the real-world endpapers in Return when compared to the fantastical endpapers in Journey? Do they indicate that the girl has outgrown imaginative play? Even if her character has grown up, readers can return to this world again and again. lolly robinson

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2017
This third wordless installment (Journey; Quest) brings the story full circle. The father of the lonely girl with a red crayon follows her into the steampunk-meets-fantasy kingdom to share in the adventure. Becker is at his best creating lush, mysterious landscapes. Return's plot is, happily, simpler than Quest's, but observant readers will still find plenty of questions to ponder.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

June 1, 2016
Grades 1-3 It's a tribute to Journey (2013) and Quest (2014), the first splendidly imaginative stories in this wordless trilogy, that the final entry disappoints by merely providing a solid retread of the resonant ideas and striking visuals of the first volumes. This time our dauntless heroine is pursued into the magical land by her father, where they contend with a plot to steal the power of the enchanted crayons. Becker keeps his vistas contained, and rather than expansive, the story feels confined, focusing on locations like a cave, which, though meticulously detailed, is inherently less grand than the sprawling castle and frosted mountain tops of previous volumes. The watercolors remain breathtaking, and there are moments of high inventionan insidious imagination-stealing device, the appearance of an elegant purple griffinbut they lack the breathless wonder of exploration. The ending, in which the father embraces his daughter's sense of adventure, is lovely, but having him save the day robs a cracking good heroine of her thunder. It's a must-read for fans, but they should go in with tempered expectations. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The first two books in best-selling Becker's picture book series won critical acclaim, and fans will be eager to get their hands on this final installment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

Starred review from May 15, 2016
This breathless finale to Becker's Journey trilogy (Journey, 2013; Quest, 2014) takes readers back to the intricate interior of an alternate world where crayons wield power.To escape the loneliness of the house, where father furrows his brow over a drafting table upstairs, a white child with a brown pageboy takes up a red crayon and draws a door. Readers familiar with the series know what twinkles on the other side--a purple-plumed bird, trees hung with bobbing lanterns, a Byzantine castle just beyond. New readers will find themselves startled and exhilarated alongside the father when he discovers the improvised door and steps through. Becker's elaborate watercolor-and-pen illustrations capture the scope and mystery of this other place, where, in a few strokes, crayons conjure marvels. Such ambitious, elaborate pictures demand time, and an insistent, pulsing plot battles with their embedded reverie. A wicked, horned warrior invades the castle, seizing the magic crayons from crowned royals (the first child, a second, and a king). The father and child's mutual adventure unspools silently but with urgency. Readers remember the dad's distraction, which started both this book and the trilogy itself. When cave paintings depict the dad as the hero, casting out the villain, hearts swell and eyes well.A fantastic final leg to a reading journey that altered, expanded, and enriched the landscape of children's literature--and surely many young people's lives. (Picture book. 3-8)

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Starred review from May 16, 2016
In a bravura finish to the trio of wordless tales that began with 2013’s Journey, Caldecott Honoree Becker brings still more splendor and feeling to his architectural fantasy world. For the first time, readers meet the father of the girl with the red crayon, an artist who has sunk into his own work. Wielding her crayon, the girl escapes into the now-familiar fantasy kingdom to meet her friends, the boy and the king. Her remorseful father follows, arriving just as an enemy warrior wields a crank-operated vacuum box to suck up the kingdom’s magic crayons and their creations. Father and daughter escape to a Lascaux-style cavern whose ancient paintings suggest a way to defeat their enemies, and they do just that. Fantastic contraptions, elaborate landscapes, and breathless escapes would each on their own distinguish this installment; together, they dazzle. That the father is redeemed by entering his daughter’s kingdom and mastering its rules gives the story a sense of moral justice. Becker’s creation is a gift to his readers—one they’ll want to save for their own children. Ages 4–8. Agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt.