Why do you think somethings have been drawn in colour?Īsk the children to suggest what might happen to these characters in a story?.

What do you imagine it might be like to live in this city?.Why do you think Aaron Becker has chosen to show what is going on inside the house?.What can we tell about the other characters from their body language?.Younger children might want to show you physically by copying the girl’s body language and showing the expression they imagine on her face) What emotions do you think the girl is feeling? How can we tell? (This gives an opportunity to talk about body language.Traffic lights are set to red but the colour is not as saturated as the bright red of the girl’s scooter.Īsk an open question, ‘what’s happening in this picture?’ After the children have shared their responses, you may want to prompt them to think more deeply about the picture:

There’s an image of a girl looking bored with a red scooter.

Either open at this sepia-toned double spread (dedication) page or use a visualiser to project it if you are working with a class or large group. This activity is best carried out before sharing the entire book. Readers of all ages may find within Becker’s pages an enchanting mixture of personal escapism, adventure and meaning. This wordless picture book is a tribute to the power and possibility of imagination. Together the two of them embark on further adventures. Hopeless and alone, the girl is left in a dark cage when suddenly through the sky returns the lilac bird, carrying in its beak her magical crayon. Disaster strikes when, having freed the bird, she is caught by angry guards who throw away her Trying to save a vibrant lilac bird which has been imprisoned. Glistening rivers, dramatic moats and dizzying waterfalls with a few artful strokes of her crayon, she is soon soaring above the clouds in a bright red hot-air balloon, Magical door from her bedroom wall, she finds herself transported into enthralling new lands – vividly colourful and alive with adventure. A little girl, bored of the monotonous and lonely routine of everyday life, seeks refuge and excitement in a world created entirely by her imagination.

Journey quest return books