A picture communicates a thousand words! Indeed! Complex and sometimes multiple ideas can be conveyed by a single image, which conveys its essence more effectively than any verbal description. Wordless illustrations can effortlessly create greater engagement with the readers. We often assume that it’s the books with words that develop literacy skills, and we often underestimate the extraordinary benefits and skills that wordless picture books help develop. In addition to teaching the visual language, they improve a range of skills, including comprehension skills, creative thinking, oral narrative skills, inference skills and multiple perspective understanding. Most of all, creating one’s own narrative from the images using one’s own imagination, perspective, creativity and vocabulary.
Wordless Picture Books are as important as other regular books. These books provide ageless benefits, especially in the formative years. It encourages early readers and young children to construct the story on their own and apply their viewpoints to the images, nurturing independence, confidence and enhancing creativity, imagination, language, and vocabulary growth.
For the older readers, the challenge is to think more deeply and technically about storylines, sequence of events, character interplay, the mood of the story, and the desired plotline.
However, it comparatively has a greater effect on young children as it has a number of advantages that are listed below.
- Simple Access- Books with no words are an ideal source for children having developmental or learning disabilities to learn new things easily. It also helps kids with language-based disabilities who find the reading process difficult.
- Inferential thinking- Inferring ideas from the images becomes an excellent way to enhance comprehension skills in children. It also helps them develop skills like hints-developing and conceptual understanding.
- Story Telling- Wordless picture books are the best means for children to learn the basic story structure. They can create their individual narratives through the portrayed images and incidents. It allows them to recall what happened in the story from the beginning to the end.
- Gain Confidence- Instilling a lasting love for reading in a child must be done with conscious care and this is where reading Wordless picture books helps. Wordless picture books help them gain strength and confidence when they leaf through and read a book on their own.
- Improve Vocabulary- Visual representations can help children easily connect and point out things they see around them, which helps them improve their vocabulary quickly and easily.
- Love for Learning- Wordless picture books contain colourful images and appealing drawings on each of their pages, which evoke a child’s interest, and intrinsically motivates them to want to learn and understand without getting distracted or frustrated.
10 Wonderful Wordless Picture Books
1. “Wolf in the Snow”- Matthew Cordell
The award-winning book “Wolf in the Snow” by Matthew Cordell is a lovely wordless picture book that has rich paintings and easy to follow images that add eloquence to the reading experience and convey the story in the most satisfying, heartwarming manner. The story opening with a tender portrait of the family can’t be missed! This story is about a girl returning from school getting caught up in a blizzard. On her way back home, she meets a wolf pup who too is lost in the snow. The little girl chooses to abandon her planned route to reunite the pup with its family. At last, they both find their way back to their homes after encountering some dangers and difficulties along the way.
This wintry tale of kindness, trust and bravery is sure to bring warmth and reassurance to you and your little ones.
- “Chalk”- Bill Thomson
The story ‘Chalk’ by Bill Thomason has a fine message about being visionary. The book opens with three kids walking in the rain headed towards a park. They notice a bag of chalks hanging from the mouth of one of the dinosaur rides. One out of the three takes a yellow piece of chalk from the bag and draws the sun. The sun comes to life, and it goes up into the sky and drives away all the rain. The kids are enthralled by the act of drawing and seeing things coming to life. They use their visionary ideas to draw some really cool things and to solve some problems. Pick up the book to find out what problems the kids solve with the magical chalks.
Can all our visionary ideas have a beautiful exciting outcome? Read the book with your children to find out the answer.
Realistic images add so much beauty to the creative storyline that they make the story even more magical.
- “Ammachi’s Glasses”– Priya Kuriyan (Tulika Books)
The awe-inspiring wordless picture book “Ammachi’s Glasses” by the Indian author Priya Kuriyan offers several moments of laughter to the readers. The story opens with Ammachi (grandmother) waking up one morning, trying to find her glasses by the bedside, but she is unable to find one. Once she leaves her bedroom, she bumbles and stumbles through the day because she’s unable to see anything clearly. She’s seen stepping on the dog, washing her pet cat along with the daily laundry, and then hanging the cat out to dry with the other clothes. She’s also seen cooking a pair of slippers, wearing her granddaughters’ top; many such hilarious topsy-turvy events ensue as the story progresses.
The fine detailing of every character, their expressions in the sequence of events and the local setup adds eloquence to the reading experience. Memorable characters and the little quirks make the book a great retreat.
One important lesson from Ammachi’s story that we get to learn is, not all days are the same and not each new day can have a planned beginning. Do not allow the unplanned beginnings to disappoint you and believe in the magic of beginnings. You can be happy and unstoppable just like Ammachi. She brings forth her smile and goes about her daily chores even without the glasses.
- “The Surprise”- Sylvia Van Ommen
‘The Surprise’ by Sylvia Van Ommen is an entertaining, engaging, and a morally sweet wordless picture book. It has a coherent, easy-to-follow sequence of events. A simple storyline ‘Sheep to Sweater’ cannot be produced as marvellously as it is here; the use of complementing colours in the illustration makes the story a delightful journey.
A heavily furred sheep uses its fleece to knit a sweater for his friend giraffe. A simple story plot walks you subtly through wool obtaining process from a sheep and makes the story known with its easy-to-follow realistic images. The story also brings together the message of friendship, caring and giving.
- “South”- Patrick McDonnell
‘South’ by Patrick McDonnell is an adorable wordless picture book with a universal message on friendship, cooperation, love, kindness and change. The story revolves around a little bird who wakes up to find its friends and family gone to the south for winters, and he is left behind on his own. In between the search and call out process for the flock, the story takes a turn and leads to an unexpected friendship between the little bird and Mooch, the cat who helps him find his way.
The soft artwork of the fall and fine comical illustration of the cat and bird crossing boundaries, walking between the forest trees and legs of people, birds singing and flying in flocks, are intriguing and engaging for children and adults both.
Note: This book is pretty expensive but worth every penny.
- “Coming Home”- Greg Ruth
This nearly wordless picture book ‘Coming Home’ by Greg Ruth is an attempt to pay tribute to the resilience of soldiers and their families. The story reveals a soul-stirring reunion of a little boy with his military parent. The words accompanying the photorealistic wide images, ‘Waiting’, ‘Watching’, Oh, yes!’ captures the boy’s apprehension beautifully in subtle progressions of his expressions. Oh, the tear-jerking twist makes the story emotional and unforgettable! Having a parent away fighting a war — is unnervingly large for a child; we’re also reminded that the children of military parents often have much more responsibilities than the kids their age.
Realistic illustrations and the story based on a military parent-child separation makes the book a heart-warming, tear-jerking treat for the readers.
- “The Journey Trilogy”- Caldecott Honoree Aaron Becker
If you and your children like magical adventures, then the series ‘The Journey Trilogy’ by Caldecott Honoree Aaron Becker is a must-read. The wordless series (Journey, Quest and Return) takes you on exquisite, breathtaking journeys. Visually fascinating stories in the series have castles, magical creatures, enchanting world of kings, daring landscapes and more which captures the reader’s attention. Finely detailed, appealing artwork in these stories showcase how a few dreams can bring new worlds or perceptions to life.
Suggestion- 1) You may buy the books of this wordless series ‘Journey’, ‘Quest’ and ‘Return’ separately if the trilogy combo is unavailable online or overpriced. 2) Read them in the order 1, 2, and 3 (‘Journey’, ‘Quest’ and ‘Return’ respectively) because the stories are interconnected.
- “The Girl and the Bicycle”- Mark Pett
A young girl notices a bicycle in a shop window and decides to buy it. But she doesn’t have enough money to make the purchase. So, she sets out to earn money. She works hard and saves up every penny until she has enough to buy the bicycle. What follows illustrates the true essence of work, grit, faith and kindness.
‘The Girl and the Bicycle’ by Mark Pett, an iconic classic, carries the message of nobleness and selflessness. The heart-warming, unexpected ending makes it an excellent gift for middle-grade kids and young adults. Not to miss are the business ideas that the little girl comes up with, to support herself in making enough money for the bicycle!
- “Spot, the Cat”- Henry Cole
This visual narrative and finely detailed wordless picture book by the award-winning author-illustrator Henry Cole takes us on a wordless journey, giving us the insides of a day in the life of a cat named Spot who journeys in and out of the city often. Spot is seen walking through bustling, busy streets, to a local farmer’s market, to a park crowded with kite-fliers, and beyond. On the other hand, his beloved boy owner is looking for him while missing him all the time.
Spot’s story reminds us that no matter how far away from home one gets, there is always a way back home. And the sweet reunion at the end makes you go awwww….!
- “Mary had a Little Lizard”- Kayla Harren
‘Mary had a Little Lizard’ by Kayla Harren is a hilarious contemporary retelling of ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’. In this story, the little lizard sneaks into Mary’s backpack and creates chaos in her kindergarten class. The lizard is seen doing mischievous things and making a mess in the class. But when it scares the teacher during story-time, it is sent to the principal’s office and made to wait till Mary’s mother picks the lizard up from school. The beautiful reunion of Mary and the lizard at the end makes you caress the book gently.
The book is a cheerful work of art, and the silly, satisfying celebration of new experiences and friendships make it an enjoyable choice.
And, to sum up
I believe you’ve re-examined your viewpoint on wordless picture books, as they have so much more to do with readers than you may have previously thought. Books of this kind are unique because of their freshness and incredible elements that lead to the formation of new worlds in our minds. Start exploring the world of wordless books, sooner than later. Ciao.