Customer Reviews

The Journey Home

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
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This is a fun, whimsical book for kids. It's about a journey that a brother and sister take from the North Pole home - they encounter "Father Christmas," a pirate, Prince Charming, a mermaid, and more - lilting rhymes, nicely illustrated, and imaginative.

As an adult, The Journey Home remains one of my absolute favorite books of all time, capturing a brother and sister's incredible travels through all magical elements of life. I reread it now and fall in love all over again.

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Alison Lester's books capture the innocence of childhood. It's not a saccharine world though. We see a spirit of adventure and at times there is mischievous fun to be had.

When two children have names like Wild and Woolly (we suspect brother and sister) we can anticipate something out of the ordinary will happen.

Every child's fantasy is realized when they dig a hole in their sandpit and fall through it to the North Pole. Their dog (who remains nameless) comes along too.

We all know who lives at the North Pole and it just happens to be Christmas. Turkey and Christmas Pudding are on the menu. They enjoy the feast and its time for bed,

The next day they continue their trek. They visit all the famous fairy tale characters and at each of their houses they are welcomed with generous hospitality, and given a magnificent feast.

Each day they arrive at a new place. Their itinerary (and menu) included angel cakes and sugar kisses at the Good Fairy's, royal trifle and rhubarb fool at Prince Charming's, sea-grapes at the Little Mermaid's, salami sausage and pickled cucumbers at the Pirate King's and goulash and dumplings at the Gipsy Queen's.

After all these feasts they eventually find their way home. Before bed, of course it's time for a big mug of hot chocolate.

Ms. Lester tells the charming story of a sister and brother who fall through a hole dug in their sandbox to the North Pole and then travel home. They visit Father Christmas, a mermaid, and a pirate, among others. The text is charming and the pictures are entertaining. It is a delight to report that the sister is as much the actor in the story as her brother--a still all too rare event in children's literature, where boys "do" and girls "watch."