Pictures without words, otherwise known as The Wordless Picture Book, provides children with wonderful stories told through detailed illustrations. The perfect way to introduce your child to the wonder of books.
Alphabet City
Author: Stephen T. Johnson (Photographer)
Publisher: Viking
Recommended Age Range: 3 to 7
Website
A walk through a city’s streets inspired this brilliant book of alphabetical photographs. From sidewalks to bridges; benches to streetlights, this book will change the way you and your child see the world.
Awards: Caldecott Honor, 1996; ALA Notable Children’s Book, 1996: All ages; A New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year; A 1996 Children’s Book of Distinction by Hungry Mind Review; A 1996 Children’s Books Mean Business ABA-CBC; A New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing; Gold and Silver Medals from the Society of Illustrators; Horn Book Fanfare Award; Parenting Magazine’s Reading Magic Award; Parent Magazine’s Best Book of 1995 and a Parents Pick of the Year; Children Book of the Year and marked for Outstanding Merit by The Bank; Wisconsin Library Association’s Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Literature
City by Numbers
Author: Stephen T. Johnson
Illustrator: Stephen T. Johnson (Photographer)
Publisher: Viking
Recommended Age Range: 5 to 8
City by Numbers is a wonderful book of photographs that “discovers” the numbers 1 through 20 throughout a city. Children love this book and have many “aha” moments as they see such shapes as buildings, garbage cans, bridges, and window panes become numbers that they know. Creativity at its best.
Awards: Parenting Magazine’s Reading Magic Award; Parent Magazine’s Best Books of 1998
Draw!
Author: by Raul Colon
Illustrator: Raul Colon
Publisher: A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Whether your child loves drawing, safaris, the animals that live there, or all of the above, this book is for you. With stunning images of a boy’s imaginative journey to visit, and sketch, the animals that live in the African Savanna, this book is a true work of art.
Awards: ALA Notable Children’s Book; International Latino Book Award 1st Place; KSRC Primary Titles – TOP PICK; NCTE Charlotte Huck Outstanding Fiction Recommended Title; Wisconsin State Reading Association’s Reading List
Finding Fire
Author: Logan S. Kline
Illustrator: Logan S. Kline
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Award(s): A Junior Library Guild Selection
Website
Float
Author: Daniel Miyares
Illustrator: Daniel Miyares
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Website
From start to finish, Float is brilliant. Beginning with a boy and his paper boat, the story takes the reader through his rainy-day adventure until an unforeseen event sends him home. Yet, it is here that his father shows him that the end of one adventure simply makes way for another. Diagrams at the beginning show how to make a boat and at the end, an airplane – all from paper.
Awards: A Junior Library Guild Selection; ALA Notable Children’s Books; CCBC Choices; Kansas State Reading Circle List Primary Title; New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing; Young Hoosier Book Award Master List (IN); Wisconsin State Reading Association’s Reading List
Flood
Author: Alvaro F. Villa
Illustrator: Alvaro F. Villa
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Recommended Age Range: 6 to 8
Using only pictures, one family’s life is shown before, during, and after a flood. The message of perseverance in the face of disaster is brilliantly done.
Awards: 2013 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award, Silver Winner;
2014 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
Good Night Gorilla
Author: Peggy Rathmann
Illustrator: Peggy Rathmann
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Recommended Age Range: 2 to 5
Website
At the end of a busy day, a zookeeper says “good night” to each of his animals. Unbeknownst to him, the animals don’t go to sleep; they follow him: out of the zoo, into his house, and into his bed! When one “good night” leads to many, surprises abound. A great (wordless) read-aloud. ☺
Awards: ALA Notable Children’s Book for 1994; Bulletin Blue Ribbon 1994; Horn Book Fanfare 1995 Selection; Parenting Magazine “Best Children’s Books of 1994;” New York Public Library 1995 “Children’s Books 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing”
(oversized board book)
Here I Am
Author: Patti Kim
Illustrator: Sonia Sanchez
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Recommended Age Range: 5 to 10
Awards: A Kirkus Best Book of the Year; A Junior Library Guild Selection
Holland
Author: Charlotte Dematons
Illustrator: Charlotte Dematons
Publisher: Lemniscaat USA
Recommended Age Range: 5 to 8
Inside Outside
Author: Lizi Boyd
Illustrator: Lizi Boyd
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Recommended Age Range: 3 to 5
Take a look at Inside Outside and you won’t be disappointed. Through the seasons, one child creates and explores his indoor and outdoor worlds with windows revealing just what is waiting with each turn of the page.
A great book to inspire new ideas and activities for your child.
Awards: 2014 Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens-Up to Seven (Recommended)
Journey (Aaron Becker’s Wordless Trilogy #1)
Author: Aaron Becker
Illustrator: Aaron Becker
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Website
When a little girl decides to replace her boring day with a magical one, her dreary day becomes amazing. A beautiful forest, enormous castle, and angry guards, along with a hot air balloon, magic carpet, and mysterious purple bird makes for an endearing story. If you like Harold and the Purple Crayon, you’ll love this one. A Caldecott Honor Book and the first in a trilogy.
Awards: A 2014 Caldecott Honor Book; ALSC Summer Reading List; Association of Children’s Librarians of Northern CA Distinguished Books; NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts; Massachusetts Book Awards Must-Read List; Georgia Children’s Book Award List; ALA Notable Children’s Books; Capitol Choices List of Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens; 2013 New York Public Library’s List of 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing; Horn Book Fanfare List; New York Times Notable Children’s Book; SLJ Best Books 2013; Amazon.com Best Book of the Year; Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2013; New York Times Book Review 10 Best Illustrated Children’s Books; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio’s Best Book Award – Platinum Winner
Lines Everywhere (Jimi Lee Board Books)
Author: Jimi Lee
Illustrator: Jimi Lee
Publisher: Minedition
Recommended Age Range: 3 to 5
My Friend Rabbit
Author: Eric Rothmann
Illustrator: Eric Rothmann
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Attempting to get a toy plane out of a tree apparently requires a lot of ingenuity; in this case, precariously piling large animals on top of each other. And, while they get close, there is a lot of tumbling to the ground. My favorite children’s comment when it ends: “Oh yeigh, I knew that would happen.” ☺
Awards: Caldecott Medal, 2003; Parents’ Choice Recommended; An Oprah.com “Kids Reading List” Selection
Quest (Aaron Becker’s Wordless Trilogy #2)
Author: Aaron Becker
Illustrator: Aaron Becker
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Website
In Quest, the second in the Journey trilogy, the two friends find themselves swept back to a magical land where they must find a map to save a king and his kingdom. With the same wonderful illustrations that defined Journey, Quest leads the reader pondering “what next?” in the trilogy’s final chapter.
Awards: Junior Library Guild Selection; An NPR Best Book of the Year
Return (Aaron Becker’s Wordless Trilogy #3)
Author: Aaron Becker
Illustrator: Aaron Becker
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Awards: A Junior Library Guild Selection
Website
Re-Zoom and Zoom
Author: Istvan Banyai
Illustrator: Istvan Banyai
Publisher: Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Pbk.)
Recommended Age Range: 5 to 8
Two brilliant books that take one picture and, by “zooming out,” move the stories in a new and very unique direction. Be prepared to be surprised! Unexpected adventures ahead!
Awards: Zoom – One of the Best Children’s Books of the Year, New York Times; One of the Best Children’s Books of the Year, Publishers Weekly; International Reading Association (IRA) Children’s Choice Award
Sidewalk Flowers
Author: JonArno Lawson
Illustrator: Sydney Smith
Publisher: Groundwood Books, House of Anansi Press
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 7
Website
Sidewalk Flowers is a wordless picture book that follows the kindness of one little girl’s generosity. Through the beauty of flowers, each “bouquet” shared reveals an act of kindness that is both inspiring and heartwarming. Simply stunning.
Awards: Winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award for Children’s Illustrated Books 2015; A New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year 2015; Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Books of 2015
The Boy and the Airplane
Author: Mark Pett
Illustrator: Mark Pett
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
The Boy and the Airplane is the illustrated story of a boy who, while playing with his toy airplane, gets it stuck on the roof of his house. As he ages, he tries different plans to get his airplane down; yet, none work…not until an ingenius plan begins to grow. A terrific book about life, love, patience, and generosity.
Awards: MSTA Reading Circle List
The Boy & The Book (a wordless story)
Author: David Michael Slater
Illustrator: Bob Kolar
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Recommended Age Range: 2 to 5
Website
Reminding kids to take care of books just got a whole lot funnier. In The Boy & the Book, a little blue book is a little too loved. Torn and thrown around the library, the book decides to hide; but, to no avail, he’s spotted and tossed again. Yet, when the boy discovers all there is to see within a book, he learns that taking care of it – inside and out – is the best way to treat a book.
Awards: Kirkus Reviews’ Best Children’s Books of the Year; Colorado Libraries: Shortlisted for 2016 CLEL Picture Book Award
The Farmer and the Clown
Author: Marla Frazee
Illustrator: Marla Frazee
Publisher: Beach Lane Books, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Website
Friendships can come in the most unlikely of places. When a young clown falls from a train; it is a farmer who takes him into his home and treats him like family. A beautifully illustrated book about the power of kindness and the gifts we receive from each other.
Awards: An ALA Notable Book; 2015 Boston Globe Horn Book Picture Book Award; A Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of the Year 2014; A Kirkus Best Children’s Book of the Year 2014; A New York Times Book Review “Notable Book of 2014;” An NPR Favorite Book of 2014; Fall 2014 Kid’s Indie Next List; A 2014 Junior Library Guild Selection; Horn Book Fanfare Book 2014; A Boston Globe Best Picture Book of 2014; A Shelf Awareness Best Book of 2014; A Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book for 2014; Huffington Post’s “Best Friendship” Book of 2014; USA illustration nominee for the IBBY Honour List; 2015 Golden Kite Honor for Picture Book Illustration; NCTE Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children Honor Book; Southern California Independent Booksellers Association 2015 Children’s Picture Book Award; A CCBC Choice Award; A Bank Street Best Book of 2015
The Flower Man
Author: Mark Ludy
Illustrator: Mark Ludy
Publisher: Scribble & Sons
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
A grey city becomes remarkably transformed when one man decides to add a world of color to his new home. A wonderful story that shows the power of beauty to inspire those around us.
The Girl and the Bicycle
Author: Mark Pett
Illustrator: Mark Pett
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
In the same style as The Boy and the Airplane, a little girl discovers the “perfect” green bicycle in a shop’s window. Passing it every day, with her brother in tow, she begins to hatch a plan to make it her very own. With child-like illustrations, Mark Pett shows the value of hard work, saving, and, most important, generosity. Simply terrific.
Awards: Beehive Award Master List (UT); KSRC Primary Titles – TOP PICK; New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing; PA Baker’s Dozen (13 Best Books for Family Literacy); Texas 2×2 Reading List; Wisconsin State Reading Association’s Reading List; A Junior Library Guild Selection
The Island
Author: Marije Tolman and Ronald Tolman
Illustrator: Marije Tolman and Ronald Tolman
Publisher: Lemniscaat USA
Recommended Age Range: 3 to 7
A fantastical journey to an island where nothing is quite what it seems and everything comes with surprises. Child-like illustrations, with brilliant colors, combine to create a world of wonder.
Awards: Outstanding International Best Book of the Year, The US Board on Books for Young People (USBBY)
The Whale
Author: Ethan Murrow and Vita Murrow
Illustrator: Ethan Murrow and Vita Murrow
Publisher: templar books, an imprint of Candlewick Press
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Website
The White Book: A Minibombo Book
Author: Silvia Berando, Elisabetta Pica, and Lorenzo Clerici
Illustrator: Silvia Berando, Elisabetta Pica, and Lorenzo Clerici
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Recommended Age Range: 2 to 5
A white wall invites creativity when a little boy, a big paintbrush, and an unlimited imagination come together to make a colorful – and surprising display – of some of nature’s most beloved creatures.