Return

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

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.