Wordless Picture Books – for All Ages!
Wordless picture books (literally stories told completely through the use of pictures), have gained popularity in the last decade. There are a few reasons for this. These books can be great as introductions to books and reading for little readers. They can begin working on comprehension skills and book etiquette, even if they cannot decode or recognize words yet. But wordless books have benefits beyond the surface level idea of using them with toddlers and preschoolers. I was a middle school teacher for several years, and I found these types of books to be so beneficial even at the higher level. They allow children to exercise so many different skills including creative writing, predicting, analysis, and reframing.
Here are some wordless picture books at our library to get you started on this creative journey with stories:
Chalk by Bill Thompson
Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole
Have You Seen My Duckling? by Nancy Tafuri
Journey by Aaron Becker
Sector 7 by David Wiesner
–Chelsea Bunton, Youth Services Assistant
