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As Tolstoy purportedly said, “All great literature is one of two stories: a man goes on a journey or a stranger comes to town.” Maybe that’s not entirely true, but there are certainly many stories about journeys, whether the book follows a traveler as they leave on a journey, or observes a community when a traveler arrives. In both cases, somebody is encountering an unfamiliar world. Here, then, are 19 books about travels: about exploring worlds unknown, welcoming strangers, and unexpected journeys.
This wordless picture book shows a young boy finding a key. He leaves his world-populated by sour-faced people in black and white-and goes through a mysterious door, where he (quite literally) runs into a strange, pointy-beaked creature carrying an instrument case. As he explores further, he eventually meets some friendly creatures who invite him to a picnic, and discovers there are plenty of other doors that open into this bizarre, colorful world. The various creatures all speak in little speech bubbles with strange markings, though you can tell that there are groupings of “types” of languages that they’re speaking. It’s a fun book about being open to adventure and friendship, even in the face…
