'Return' - Aaron Becker

'Return' - Aaron Becker

Stories without texts are automatic favourites in our house.  We love words, too, of course. In fact, we have to send Eleanor to bed with a notebook and pencil, so that she can save words to look up in the morning (parentals currently performing dictionary duty, but guess what she's getting for her birthday).

'Return' was warmly received by our guys.  There's a different kind of magic when a book has no text.  It's a quiet, slip-into-another-world magic.  Different voices come alive.  I would argue that more of the senses are aroused.  You almost slip inside the book, taking every detail of the illustration to form the story.  I love it, the kids love it.

The story itself is magic, and wonderful, and poignant.  A familiar refrain (parents, pay attention!), tidily done.  The illustrations are rich and evocative, always with a sense of unravelling and coming together again that is so satisfying.  We need to track down the first two in the trilogy - 'Journey' and 'Quest', but it's a perfect standalone too.

Additionally, books like this - no text, richly detailed illustrations - are so useful for teaching. We'll use this one as a writing prompt this term, perhaps over a series of lessons in which Eleanor can tell her own version of the story.  How fun would it be to see a whole class full of different versions!

Check it out for yourself, 'The Return' is available now through Walker Books and all good bookstores.

Thanks to Walker Books for sending us a review copy :-)