This book is so charming! The interspersed fake Latin and silly illustrations are so whimsical. I love the concept of this plot and the ending, and the journey of finding home. There is humor throughout to be enjoyed by readers of all ages. I can see this being a fun read for a wide audience, but especially well-traveled kids.

Four Roman statues decide to escape the museum and, well, return to their original locations. They bid farewell to their fellow museum artifacts, don clothing from the lost-and-found bin to disguise themselves (they know you have to blend in!) and set out to return to Rome. But how different will their home be after 2,000 years?

What a unique idea, and what a wonderful execution! Author/illustrator Joaquín Camp provides a surprise ending I never saw coming. Highly, highly recommended!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Publisher Spotlight and Berbay Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun little adventure! I loved how the statues found disguises in the museum Lost and Found and I really loved the ending. This is really cute and funny.

Speaking to the child and cleverly written, Joaquin Camp's The Returnus is a hilarious new adventure for readers all over the world. I adored the statue "accents" and my kids cracked up trying to copy saying words "as a statue would" (without moving their mouths naturally). This game may follow us long after we've set the book down. Bored in the grocery store or in the car? Statue accents! Frustrated with someone in our house? No yelling, statue accents. Sad you have to go to bed at bedtime? Tell me as a statue would and we'll discuss your options 😂 Imagining the statues in new, unexpected places doing such silly things not only made our family laugh, but sparked creativity! I cannot wait until we find a statue in public and ask each other what it would do if it were not on display or which passerby is most likely to bathe the display and set it out in their yard. Such a fun book!

And I'm sorry, the bearded bust in a buggy? Comedic gold! Whose idea was it to add a pink bow? The JC gold chain on Julius Caesar? Hilarious! Bravo kind sir!

Thank you to Publisher Spotlight, Berbay Publishing, and NetGalley for this Arc.

Joaquin Camp, an author and illustrator, conjures up an imaginative scenario where ancient Roman statues decide to abandon their museum and embark on a journey back to their ancestral home in Rome. The story explores the characters’ emotions and experiences as they encounter the changes that have transpired in their absence. The narrative incorporates fake Latin words, adding an element of humor, while the illustrations complement the text with their own amusing style.

This was so cute and beautifully illustrated!! I loved how all of the Roman statues were illustrated and the color pallet that was used! I loved their fun adventure trying to get back to their homeland and figuring out where they fit in now that time has passed!!

The Returnus is about 4 statues that escape from a museum (the British Museum?) to return to their home in Rome and reconnect with their leader, Julius Caesar. Things do not go as planned--nothing is the same as they remember and they have to find their own place in a new world.

I read this to a class of 3rd graders, and these are their opinions. Their reactions were lukewarm. Overall, they found the statues' motivations to be confusing and wanted more information. They were hoping for more action in the story and wish that the book was longer. The illustrations were fine, but didn't add to the understanding of the story--they didn't add a ton of extra context or give insight into how the characters are feeling.

We would recommend this book for 2nd grade-aged kids. Maybe kids who are already interested in Ancient Rome. We don't see this having a super big appeal to all kids. The fake Latin words were maybe trying to be funny, but it got old quickly.