The Magic of Wordless Picture Books
Megan Daley on how and why to share them and 40+ great options to get you started
I began my teaching career as an early childhood teacher and discovered the power of wordless picture books very early on. The freedom to interpret and narrate these visual stories sparked endless creativity and engagement among my Year Two students, and my collection of wordless picture books began in earnest.
Over many years in education and libraries, I’ve been fortunate to be able to delve deeper into the realm of visual literacy and the illustrative work. Workshops and articles by such artists as Matt Ottley, Tony Flowers, Gihun Lee and others have provided me with valuable insight, inspiration and education about exploring wordless picture books, both for myself and for use with students from early years into the senior years.
I will admit, however, that, without a bit of background on wordless picture books, it can be quite disconcerting to open a book without words!
With the complete absence of words, we might wonder what the book wants to tell us, we may worry that we will misinterpret the intent of the story and, as a reader, we need to work harder to decipher the story and pay close attention to ‘reading the images’.
I’m going to share what I see as the benefits of wordless picture books and my tips on using them in the home, library or classroom setting.
Use these ideas to explore wordless picture books yourself and then test them out with young people in your life – with just a little scaffolding, you’ll be able to use these books to spark endless creative and educational endeavours.
The Benefits of Wordless Books
•Active participation: the need to lean in, decipher the images and discuss wordless picture books requires active participation rather than sitting and consuming a story being read aloud.
•Inclusivity: the lack of text allows readers to engage with the story regardless of reading ability or cultural language differences.
•Imagination: the creative possibilities are endless and a wordless picture book is a springboard for imaginative play and storytelling.
•Storytelling: with illustrations not bound by text, we foster imaginative thinking and narrative creation, empowering children to construct their own stories.
•Oral language development: promotion of language skills through discussion and description of illustrations, enhancing oral communication.
•Vocabulary expansion: readers must work harder to find new words to articulate observations and tell the story, expanding vocabulary.
•Visual literacy: critical visual analysis skills are nurtured, teaching children to interpret facial expressions, body language, and visual cues.
Tips for Sharing Wordless Picture Books
Encourage imagination: there are no right or wrong ways to read a wordless book; foster the idea that there are endless ways to interpret and imagine the story.
Discuss the relationship between the creator and reader: the narrative or meaning in a wordless picture book is co-constructed between the creator’s artwork and the reader’s imagination. The story is only ‘complete’ (is a story ever complete?) when a reader adds their interpretation, imagination and storytelling skills. The book is almost like a conversation between the creator and the reader.
Engage at eye level: if sharing with a group, sit with children at their eye level, creating a more intimate reading experience that encourages participation.
Predict and explore: spend time examining the cover and title, making predictions, and taking a "picture walk" through the pages.
Analyse illustrations: develop visual literacy skills by discussing the use of colour, light, and shadow to convey mood and meaning, look at composition, page layout and consider what the juxtaposition of multiple images might mean.
Consider themes: hunt for clues as to the creator’s intent with the book – what might be the major themes of the story? Co-constructing meaning around a book is a great way to develop analysis skills.
For example, a close look at Gihun Lee’s ‘9:47’ and students of all ages will quickly pick up on themes of environmental destruction, sustainability and care for the earth.Discuss and connect: enjoy the illustrations together, discussing details and making personal connections to the story.
Share: encourage children to narrate the story in their own words and share their story with their peers.
A list of 40+ recommendations to get you started
My colleague, the delightful Mrs Malta, picture above left with me in our school library, has helped compile a list* of wordless picture books for us.
Let us know if we have missed any of your own favourites as there is always room for more!
A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka
A Day for Sandcastles by JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Qin Leng
Anthony and the Gargoyle by Jo Ellen Bogart, illustrated by Maja Kastelic
Bee & Me by Alison Jay
Belonging by Jeannie Baker
Bluebird by Bob Staake
Bunny & Tree by Balint Zsako
Door by JiHyeon Lee
Flashlight by Lizi Boyd
Float by Daniel Miyares
Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle
Flotsam by David Wiesner
Footpath Flowers by JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Sydney Smith
Fox’s Garden by Princesse Camcam (Camille Garoche)
Journey by Aaron Becker
Leaf by Stephen Michael King (hard to find)
Lines by Suzy Lee
Midsummer Knight by Gregory Rogers
Mirror by Jeannie Baker
Noah’s Ark by Peter Spier
Out of the Blue by Alison Jay
Pool by JiHyeon Lee
Professional Crocodile by Giovanna Zoboli, illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio
Quest by Aaron Becker
Red Book by Barbara Lehman
Return by Aaron Becker
Shadow by Suzy Lee
Sunshine by Jan Ormerod
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
The Boy, the Bear, the Baron, the Bard by Gregory Rogers
The Chicken Thief by Beatrice Rodriquez
The Girl and the Bicycle by Mark Pett
The Hero of Little Street by Gregory Rogers
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
The Tooth Fairy by Peter Collington (hard to find)
Time Flies by Eric Rohmann
Vacation by Blexbolex
Wave by Suzy Lee
Window by Jeannie Baker
Zoom by Istvan Banyai
09:47 by Gihun Lee
Do you use wordless picture books at work or at home? Have you got a favourite? We’d love to know!
This post was created by Megan Daley, an award-winning teacher-librarian working in Brisbane, co-host of the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast and editor of the recent anthology ‘Teacher, Teacher’. She is also a sought after public speaker, literary judge and creator of the popular website Children's Books Daily.
Megan’s debut picture book ‘The Beehive’ is out now.
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”Created by Megan Daley from Your Kid’s Next Read. Find out more at yourkidsnextread.com”
*Click the title to find out more or purchase the book at Booktopia. Disclosure details here.
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Last Sunday I found a copy of Anno's Journey by Mitsumasa Anno, in pristine condition, at the Cystic Fibrosis Bookshop in Brisbane. Score! You could spend hours looking at the illustrations and trying to spot the numerous Easter Eggs.