Childrens books on a trip to see a rather grown-up child

We went to Texas for our son's graduation, and stopped at an airport bookshop on the way. I had plenty of books with me from my review list, so I wasn't short of things to read. But my husband found an intriguing tale called The Book of Beginnings: Emerald Atlas, by John Stephens on the shelf at Powells. I read the back cover, and I couldn't resist. So... I read a book on my way to Texas. And here are some book reviews:

Emerald Atlas, by John Stephens, is a tale of maybe-orphans on the run fro...