Candlewick Press is pleased to announce that Journey by Aaron Becker was awarded a Randolph Caldecott Honor.
The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
About the honor, Mary Lee Donovan, Editorial Director for Candlewick said, "We could not be more pleased with this wonderful honor for Aaron Becker’s first book, Journey. From the moment I laid eyes on Aaron’s work, I knew I was looking at something really special. He truly understands the vital importance of childlike wonder—not only for children, but for us all. I’m delighted that the Caldecott committee chose Journey as one of this year’s Honor books."
About Journey:
A lonely girl draws a magic door on her bedroom wall and through it escapes into a world where wonder, adventure, and danger abound. Red marker in hand, she creates a boat, a balloon, and a flying carpet that carry her on a spectacular journey toward an uncertain destiny. When she is captured by a sinister emperor, only an act of tremendous courage and kindness can set her free. Can it also lead her home and to her heart’s desire? With supple line, luminous color, and nimble flights of fancy, author-illustrator Aaron Becker launches an ordinary child on an extraordinary journey toward her greatest and most exciting adventure of all. Journey received four starred reviews and was a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2013. The New York Times called it, “a masterwork,” and the Wall Street Journal called it “dazzling, declaring, “the child discovers that she can use a crayon to make an imaginative escape—and what an escape it is!”
About the author:
Aaron Becker has worked as an artist in the film and animation industry, where he
helped define the look and feel of characters, stories, and the movies they become
a part of. With Journey, he has created characters and worlds of his very own,
using traditional materials and techniques. Aaron Becker lives in Amherst,
Massachusetts, with his wife, daughter, and cat. This is his first book.