{"id":2013,"date":"2021-07-14T09:00:26","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T14:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.allaboutlearningpress.com\/?p=2013"},"modified":"2023-08-08T16:54:14","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T21:54:14","slug":"wordless-picture-books","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.allaboutlearningpress.com\/wordless-picture-books\/","title":{"rendered":"Wonderful Wordless Picture Books"},"content":{"rendered":"\"A\r\n\r\n

Have you and your children discovered the treasures to be found in wordless picture books?<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Wordless books are exactly what the term implies\u2014books that tell a story, but without printed story text.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Instead, wordless books rely on the illustrations to draw readers into the tales they tell. The illustrators of wordless books communicate emotion, humor, and engaging detail without writing a single word.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Because there are no words to \u201cread,\u201d wordless books can be enjoyed independently by children of all ages\u2014whether they are readers or not. When given the opportunity, a child will often discover a story in the book\u2019s illustrations that is far more imaginative than anything that you\u2014or even the author himself\u2014could have conceived. Though an author of a wordless book may have had his own story to tell, each book is a blank slate when it is read by your child.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\t\r\n

Reading Wordless Books with Preschoolers<\/h2>\r\n\r\n

Wordless picture books are so much more than simply books with great pictures! These wonderful books can benefit your preschooler's emerging literacy in three important ways.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\"Reading\r\n\r\n

    \r\n
  1. Wordless books help develop vocabulary and language skills in young children.<\/span> As you talk to your children about the pictures in the books, they\u2019ll learn to label objects in the pictures, assign appropriate sounds and gestures to objects, and invent a simple story plot to accompany the illustrations.<\/li>\r\n
  2. Wordless books help develop creativity and storytelling skills.<\/span> Wordless picture books naturally help pre-readers progress from listening<\/i> to a story to telling<\/i> a story. As they progress, children learn to devise storylines, understand sequencing, and develop oral, and eventually written, storytelling skills. Because they encourage imagination and creativity, wordless picture books are the ideal genre to develop these skills.<\/li>\r\n
  3. Wordless books encourage book usage skills.<\/span> Wordless picture books encourage appropriate book handling skills in very small children. In addition to learning to handle books with respect and appreciation, children also learn essential book-reading skills like reading from front to back, top to bottom, and left to right, and turning pages one by one.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\"Button<\/a>\r\n \r\n<\/a>\r\n

    Reading Wordless Books with Older Children<\/h2>\r\n

    But wordless picture books aren\u2019t just for preschoolers! These versatile books can be especially enjoyable and useful for older kids. Because of their depth and complexity, wordless books can stimulate an older child\u2019s thinking and imagination in ways that a chapter book may not.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\"Child\r\n\r\n

      \r\n
    1. Wordless picture books have amazing illustrations.<\/span> Because they rely entirely on illustrations to tell a story, wordless picture books are usually illustrated in amazing detail. The artwork itself can provide hours of entertainment for an older child.<\/li>\r\n\r\n
    2. Wordless books make great \u201cstory starters.\u201d<\/span> Older children can use a wordless book as a springboard for a creative writing assignment. Because the illustrations suggest a storyline without using words, this genre provides the ideal story starter for a struggling writer. Using wordless books as story starters helps develop basic writing skills like sentence structure, vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics. But beyond the basics, this\u00a0story starter activity encourages story-writing skills such as plot and character development and story structure.<\/li>\r\n\r\n
    3. Wordless books are often \u201cmind-benders.\u201d<\/span> Many wordless books tell fantastic stories that take the mind to places it doesn\u2019t expect to go. These books stimulate the imagination and require more mature \u201creaders\u201d to think deeply about the story the author is telling.<\/li>\r\n\r\n
    4. Wordless books bring history to life.<\/span> Wordless books tell historical stories in a particularly poignant way. Rich illustrations evoke an emotional response that might not be experienced if the story were told with words alone. An older child may find himself enjoying history without even realizing it!<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\"Button<\/a>\r\n\r\n

      I\u2019ve chosen a few of my favorite wordless picture books to get you started, but don\u2019t stop there. There are hundreds to choose from! Click on a book cover below to read reviews of my favorites for preschoolers and big kids!<\/p>\r\n \r\n<\/a>\r\n

      My Favorite Wordless Picture Books for Little Kids:<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
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      \r\n \r\n \"Anno's <\/a>\r\n

      Anno's Journey<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by Mitsumasa Anno<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"The <\/a>\r\n

      The Flower Man<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by Mark Ludy<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"frog, <\/a>\r\n

      frog, where are you?<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by Mercer Mayer<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"The <\/a>\r\n

      The Lion and the Mouse<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by Jerry Pinkney<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"Mirror <\/a>\r\n

      Mirror<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by Jeannie Baker<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"Noah's <\/a>\r\n

      Noah's Ark<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by Peter Spier<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"Pancakes <\/a>\r\n

      Pancakes for Breakfast<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by Tomie dePaola<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"Red <\/a>\r\n

      Red Sled<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by Lita Judge<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"Sidewalk <\/a>\r\n

      Sidewalk Circus<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by Paul Fleischman<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"Truck <\/a>\r\n

      Truck<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by Donald Crews<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"Hank <\/a>\r\n

      Hank Finds an Egg<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by Rebecca Dudley<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"Flora <\/a>\r\n

      Flora and the Flamingo<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by Molly Idle<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n      <\/a>\r\n

      My Favorite Wordless Books for Big Kids:<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
      \r\n
      \r\n \r\n \"Chalk <\/a>\r\n

      Chalk<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by Bill Thomson<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"Rainstorm <\/a>\r\n

      Rainstorm<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by Barbara Lehman<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"Sector <\/a>\r\n

      Sector 7<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by David Weisner<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"The <\/a>\r\n

      The Adventures of Polo<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by R\u00e9gis Faller<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"The <\/a>\r\n

      The Red Book<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by Barbara Lehman<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"Tuesday <\/a>\r\n

      Tuesday<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by David Weisner<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"Unspoken: <\/a>\r\n

      Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by Henry Cole<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n

      \r\n \r\n \"Lights <\/a>\r\n

      Lights Out<\/cite><\/a><\/span>
      by Arthur Geisert<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n

      FREE Wordless Picture Books<\/span> Library List<\/h2>\r\n
      \r\n \r\n \"Wordless<\/a>

      Would you like to read some of my favorite wordless picture books with your children?\r\n Click to download<\/a> our list to take to your local library.<\/p>\r\n\t

      Looking for MORE books? You can find more great library lists here<\/a>!<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n

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      Wordless Picture Books Recommended by Our Readers<\/h2>\r\n