Wordless: Books For Kids
Wordless books are a special and beautiful genre within the children's book world. They're a wonderful tool for developing your (and your child's!) imagination, requiring you to interact more with the book as you choose what story evolves from its pages... and it can be different every time! They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that's definitely true in this collection of wonderfully illustrated wordless books we've compiled for you!
"A wordless picture book in which two friends follow a young fox deep into the woods and discover a wondrous and magical world"--
In this wordless book with interactive flaps, a friendship develops between a girl named Flora and a graceful flamingo, as they learn to dance together.
This is a gorgeous wordless picture book. The very expressive illustrations of Flora and the peacocks' facial expressions and body language are priceless, and the lift the flaps for the peacocks' tails add a fun different dimension.
The darling, dancing Flora is back, and this time she's found two new friends: a pair of peacocks! But amidst the fanning feathers and mirrored movements, Flora realizes that the push and pull between three friends can be a delicate dance. Will this trio find a way to get back in step? In the third book featuring Flora and her feathered friends, Molly Idle's gorgeous art combines with clever flaps to reveal that no matter the challenges, true friends will always find a way to dance, leap, and soar—together.
This is a beautiful wordless picture book following a young girl through her imagination to a world where things don't always work out as she expects. She has to think fast, but with a little creative problem solving and a lot of imagination she's able to discover just what she was looking for—a friend. A fresh take on a journey with elements vaguely reminiscent of Where the Wild Things Are and Harold and the Purple Crayon!
Follow a girl on an elaborate flight of fancy in a wondrously illustrated, wordless picture book about self-determination — and unexpected friendship. A lonely girl draws a magic door on her bedroom wall and through it escapes into a world where wonder, adventure, and danger abound. Red marker in hand, she creates a boat, a balloon, and a flying carpet that carry her on a spectacular journey toward an uncertain destiny. When she is captured by a sinister emperor, only an act of tremendous courage and kindness can set her free. Can it also lead her home and to her heart’s desire? With supple line, luminous color, and nimble flights of fancy, author-illustrator Aaron Becker launches an ordinary child on an extraordinary journey toward her greatest and most exciting adventure of all.
Peter Spier is a genius and this is one of his best. I love the details in every illustration. He incorporates spare text from the Old Testament, complemented by the inclusion of a seventeenth-century poem, which he translated from the Dutch original. (For a real treat, look up the book on youtube, James Earl Jones reads the poem!) The first time I read this I was stunned by how many of the unexplained details of the Flood story Spier had contemplated and included for the reader's consideration. One illustration, in particular, has stayed with me for nearly a quarter century: one of a group of elephants standing in thigh-high water. There is so much to look at and talk about on every single page. This book is a joy to read!
Retells in pictures how a pair of every manner of creature climbed on board Noah's ark and thereby survived the Flood.
The Girl and the Bicycle - A wordless picture book in which a girl sees a bicycle she wants to buy, works hard for a kindly neighbor to earn the money for it, then gets a pleasant surprise.
Good Night, Gorilla - Mr. Staccato - What can you say about such a beloved classic? This book has words, but there are plenty of pages devoid of them where the reader is left to figure out what's about to happen from the illustrations. It's humorous and doesn't spell every little thing out, but provides just enough clues that my 2.5-year-old was able to piece together what was happening. As we've read it several times over, he enjoys pointing out how the gorilla is going to help the other animals from their cages.
Once Upon a Snowstorm - B is for Bookworm - This wordless picture book has gorgeous illustrations to tell its story of a boy who gets lost traveling in a snowstorm with his father. He ends up making friends with the animals in the woods who share a snack with him and help him find his way back to his dad. :) I loved the details in the the illustrations--the snowflakes and constellations were both made up of animals.
Pancakes for Breakfast - Grammy - At our house, we love Tomie DePaola. This fun wordless story about how complicated it can be to make pancakes for breakfast is a fun opportunity to talk about the process for making something, including tracking down ingredients and putting in the effort to create something delicious, and how one might be helped or undermined by one's companions. Sound familiar? It makes me want to make pancakes for breakfast, or lunch, or even dinner.
"Wordless picture book about a boy who loses his paper boat in the rain"--
Like Shaun Tan's The Arrival and Raymond Briggs's The Snowman, this gorgeous and imaginative 100-page graphic picture book is utterly transporting and original. A little girl—lost and alone—follows a mysterious stag deep into the woods, and, like Alice down the rabbit hole, she finds herself in a strange and wondrous world. But . . . home and family are very far away. How will she get back there? In this magnificently illustrated—and wordless—masterpiece, debut artist Guojing brilliantly captures the rich and deeply-felt emotional life of a child, filled with loneliness and longing as well as love and joy.
When a young boy discovers a camera on the beach and develops the film, he finds with his microscope many layers of pictures within the photographs.
In this wordless picture book, a young Southern farm girl discovers a runaway slave hiding behind the corn crib in the barn and decides to help him.
At night, a host of woodland creatures plays with a child's red sled.
Wolf in the Snow - A girl is lost in a snowstorm. A wolf cub is lost, too. How will they find their way home? Paintings rich with feeling tell this satisfying story of friendship and trust. Here is a book set on a wintry night that will spark imaginations and warm hearts, from Matthew Cordell, author of Trouble Gum and Another Brother.
Owl Bat Bat Owl - An owl and a bat family endeavor to share living spaces on the same tree branch, where initial wariness is overcome by the curiosity of the families' babies on a wild and stormy night that compels them to set aside their apprehensions.
Sidewalk Flowers - A little girl collects wildflowers while walking through town with her father.
Where's Walrus? - Follows Walrus on a journey through the city, as he tries on different hats to disguise himself from the chasing zookeeper.
Frogs rise on their lily pads, float through the air, and explore nearby houses while their inhabitants sleep.
A wordless picture book shows the fun a dog has with her ball, and what happens when it is lost.
It was really interesting for me, coming back to this book after so many years. It reminded me of both The Cat in the Hat and Nana from Peter Pan. A few of the events in the book reminded me of our neighbor's old dog, Max, a German shepherd/great Dane mix who seemed competent enough to be left to mind the baby. Other scenes, though called for a little suspension of reality, like when the baby went down the laundry chute and landed perfectly fine in a pile of clothing at least one story down in the house. The illustrations, rich with color, are wonderful and the very limited text allows for plenty of opportunities to talk about what is happening on each page, including plausibility, if you are so inclined. Carl is the dog that every family needs and wants.
Available in paperback for the first time, the modern classic that introduced the beloved baby-sitting rottweiler to the world.
In detailed illustrations, a young girl crosses oceans and continents to meet a new friend, in a wordless book-within-a-book story.
In this wordless picture book, a boy imagines himself inside some of the exhibits when he goes on a field trip to a museum.
Free Fall - When he falls asleep with a book in his arms, a young boy dreams an amazing dream-about dragons, about castles, and about an unchartered, faraway land. And you can come along.
Professional Crocodile - Mr. Crocodile loves his job. Every morning he gets up with an alarm. He brushes his teeth. He chooses the right tie to match his outfit, eats a quick slice of toast, and heads off to work on a crowded train. But what exactly is his job? The answer may surprise you! Readers will want to pore over this witty, wordless book again and again, finding new details and fresh stories with every reading.
Brick by Brick - A little mouse innocently plucks a flower from an old wall when a brick comes loose, and he can see through it for the first time. He and the other animals gradually and resolutely remove more and more bricks, until at last they can see another group of animals. Together they use the bricks that once divided them to construct a bridge to join their islands. This clever and touching wordless board book shows that walls can become bridges when everyone works together. It's a hopeful message that all children should see now.
Mary Had a Little Lizard - Mr. Staccato - No written words here, but the illustrations spell things out perfectly. One day, Mary's unique pet decides to jump in her backpack when she's running late for the bus. Trouble ensues when the lizard's school-time explorations get a little too messy.
Making her debut with this publication of her M.F.A. thesis project, Nyeu tells the wordless story of two children who cultivate an enormous beanstalk-like plant, which in turn sprouts the titular bear, all in one night. With help from Wonder Bear's magical blue hat, the children are treated to a series of fantastic spectacles and adventures, culminating in a ride through the sky on the back of a royal dolphin in the company of other sea creatures.
A beautiful wordless picture book brings a personal note to the plight of the honeybee and offers a message of hope. A little girl befriends a bee that takes her on a journey of discovery, revealing an action that every child can take to aid in conservation. In a wordless story told through enchanting illustrations, Bee & Me tells a tale of friendship and offers an introduction to the ecology of the natural world. Alison Jay's original artwork brings the story gently to life, pointing out the sadness of a world without bees. An afterword makes clear to readers the important role these endangered insects play.
Raymond Briggs's wintry hero comes to life and takes a young boy on an unforgettable adventure in this enchanting retelling for the very youngest listeners.
Bestselling and award-winning artist Patrick McDonnell uses the ABC's to tell a hilarious, high-energy alphabetical adventure. It starts with an ALLIGATOR and a BEAR chasing a CAT. When a DRAGON (and a chicken and an egg!) join in pursuit, things start to get REALLY interesting. A wild and wacky chase through snow and ice, and to jungles and over mountaintops, leads the whole crew to a wonderful realization: They're better off as friends. From New York Times bestselling author and Caldecott Honor recipient Patrick McDonnell comes an exciting new take on the alphabet book for everyone who has ever wondered what's just beyond the front door.
Jessica Lanan’s dreamy and dramatic watercolor paintings bring to life a wordless story about wonder in the natural world. A fisherman takes his son for a trip out on the water. When they encounter a whale entangled at sea, they realize a connection that transcends the animal kingdom.
One Yellow Ribbon - B is for Bookworm - This book is so beautiful! The creator did an amazing job integrating the yellow ribbon into the pictures and displaying her creativity. I love that the ribbon is something fun for little ones to pick out in the different scenes. This book doesn't have any words, and I think it's a great addition to any library as it's a little more different and unique. :)
The Lion & the Mouse - In this wordless retelling of an Aesop fable set in the African Serengeti, an adventuresome mouse proves that even small creatures are capable of great deeds when she rescues the King of the Jungle.
Indestructibles: Jungle, Rumble! - Here is a book babies can really sink their gums into. Built for the way babies read, Indestructibles are printed on an amazing paperlike material that can’t be ripped, torn, or punctured. Indestructibles are 100 percent safe and nontoxic, and if they get too funky, just throw them in the washing machine or dishwasher. They’re made for baby to hold, grab, chew, pull, and bend, and are designed to create an even more special bond between reader and baby. Printed without words, the parent gets to make up the story, or just cuddle with baby while they explore together. Jungle Rumble! is about creatures in the wild. Kaaren Pixton’s art is bright, swirling with color, and reminiscent of Eric Carle, and it attains an almost 3D richness on the special paperlike stock of the book.
Draw! - Based on his own childhood, beloved and award-winning artist Raúl Colón’s wordless book is about the limitless nature of creativity and imagination. A boy alone in his room. Pencils. Sketchbook in hand. What would it be like to go on safari? Imagine. Draw… A boy named Leonardo begins to imagine and then to draw a world afar—first a rhinoceros, and then he meets some monkeys, and he always has a friendly elephant at his side. Soon he finds himself in the jungle and carried away by the sheer power of his imagination, seeing the world through his own eyes and making friends along the way.
A shy boy, seeking the courage to play baseball with the other children in a park, is coaxed out of his shell by some "old timers" sitting nearby who, in turn, discover they are still in the game.
What do you do when no one can see your monsters but you? At first, Molly runs from them. But they follow her down the sidewalk, getting in the way when she tries to make a new friend, popping up unexpectedly out of shadows, and multiplying. Until finally...Molly faces her fears. Author-illustrator Brooke Boynton-Hughes delivers a modern classic in this moving adventure that honors everyday acts of bravery and the power of friendship to banish the monsters that haunt us.
A young girl and her family travel from the city to the country to celebrate her grandmother’s birthday. Someone suggests that Arianne, as the only child at the party, might enjoy exploring the garden more than listening to the adults chat. Arianne is unsure what to do in the quiet garden, and she soon lies down out of boredom. But then she spots a pebble…and a grasshopper…and flies away on a dandelion seed pod into the cosmos as she discovers the freedom of her imagination.
From beloved author-illustrator Henry Cole comes the stunning follow-up to Spot, the Cat. In this beautiful wordless picture book, Spot the cat finds a dog named Dot who’s off on her own adventure through the city! In Henry Cole’s vivid wordless picture book Spot, the Cat, readers joined Spot on a journey through a city that began with him following a bird outside his window. This time, a dog named Dot draws Spot from his window. As we follow Spot and Dot on their wordless journey, we quickly realize that it’s Dot the dog who is missing this time, and Spot is trying to get her back home. We follow these two on a different journey through the city as they weave in and out of a bakery, a library, a busy park, and more. And with a surprise twist at the end, we realize that “home” for both cat and dog was never very far away. With detailed black-and-white illustrations, readers will love following Spot and Dot on their adventure and cheering for the sweet reunion at the end.
Inside a tent it's cozy. But what is going on outside? Is it dark? Is it scary? Not if you have your trusty flashlight! Told solely through images and using a spare yet dramatic palette, artist Lizi Boyd has crafted a masterful exploration of night, nature, and art. Both lyrical and humorous, this visual poem—like the flashlight beam itself—reveals that there is magic in the darkness. We just have to look for it.
Aquarium - A girl ventures to the water's edge, dreaming of a new friend. And, just like that, a beguiling red fish leaps into her life. But is friendship a sea these two can navigate together? From debut Argentinian author-illustrator Cynthia Alonso comes a wordless picture book about the timeless beauty of nature, the transcendent power of connection, and the importance of letting go.
One Patch of Blue - A wordless board book that follows the journey of one patch of denim as it escapes from a pair of pants and transforms into many other objects.
Plip-Plop Pond! - Here is a book babies can really sink their gums into. Built for the way babies read, Indestructibles are printed on an amazing paperlike material that can’t be ripped, torn, or punctured. Indestructibles are 100 percent safe and nontoxic, and if they get too funky, just throw them in the washing machine or dishwasher. They’re made for baby to hold, grab, chew, pull, and bend, and are designed to create an even more special bond between reader and baby. Printed without words, the parent gets to make up the story, or just cuddle with baby while they explore together. Plip-Plop Pond! is about a frog who visits his friends in the pond. Kaaren Pixton’s art is bright, swirling with color, and reminiscent of Eric Carle, and it attains an almost 3D richness on the special paperlike stock of the book.
Sign Off - From award-winning author-illustrator Stephen Savage comes a playful wordless picture book about what the figures on road signs do when no one is around! What do the figures on signs do when no one is watching? Under cover of night, they leave their signs to play and collaborate in this imaginative story by celebrated author-illustrator Stephen Savage.
In this wordless picture book, a cat named Spot ventures out an open window and through a city on a journey, while his owner tries to find him.
Here is a book babies can really sink their gums into. Built for the way babies read, Indestructibles are printed on an amazing paperlike material that can’t be ripped, torn, or punctured. Indestructibles are 100 percent safe and nontoxic, and if they get too funky, just throw them in the washing machine or dishwasher. They’re made for baby to hold, grab, chew, pull, and bend, and are designed to create an even more special bond between reader and baby. Printed without words, the parent gets to make up the story, or just cuddle with baby while they explore together. Hey Diddle Diddle introduces the work of Jonas Sickler, a children’s illustrator whose paintings, full of detail and personality, have a fresh, whimsical sensibility, a pleasure for both baby and parents. The book gives a new spin on a traditional nursery rhyme, so parents can really have fun with the subject—Hey Diddle Diddle follows the coolest cat in New Orleans, a fiddle player who joins his other music-loving friends. The text for the nursery rhyme is printed on the back cover.
Everyday signs serve as captions for this pictorial tale of what happens after a man tosses a banana peel into the garbage can and misses.
When a lost fox enters a village on a snowy night, a young boy, seeing that the animal has been chased away by the town's adults, leaves a basket of food for the fox in a greenhouse where it has taken shelter.
A wordless picture book about what we lose, what we find, and what we give back. Jenn’s beloved dog was lost sometime ago. Long enough that she has given up the search. But she still misses her friend. One day she finds a lost dog. She takes him in and despite a rocky start, she grows to love him. Until she spots his picture on a missing poster. His name is Roscoe, and he’s someone else’s best friend. Jenn knows she should return Roscoe, but she really doesn’t want to. Will Jenn do the right thing? Or will she keep this new dog she’s grown to love so much?
Peter Spier's Rain - This wordless picture book captures the beauty and wonder of a brother and sister's joyous experiences in the rain. Come along as they explore their neighborhood, splash through puddles, see where the animals hide, and make footprints in the mud. From the first small drops of rain to the clear blue sky of a bright new morning, Peter Spier's Rain will delight parents and children again and again.
My City - A young boy discovers the excitement and unexpected delight of exploring his city--and so will readers of this vibrant picture book. Max is asked to mail a letter for his mother. As he walks through his neighborhood in search of a mailbox, he encounters all sorts of interesting things like falling leaves dancing in the wind, skyscrapers towering in the distance, and junk being piled into a garbage truck. All around him adults hurry on their various errands, too busy to appreciate these wondrous details. His walk through the city leads Max to discover that the mailbox is actually right next door to his own house. Children will enjoy following Max on his adventure and seeing things from his perspective as they explore Joanne Liu's colorful celebration of everyday life in a busy city.
Indestructibles: Creep! Crawl! - Announcing a brand new idea in publishing books for babies: the completely durable, completely safe Indestructibles. Published on the same paper-like material used in shipping envelopes, Indestructibles are 100% baby-proof: chew-proof, drool-proof, and rip-proof. That's because Indestructibles not only will not tear or turn gummy with teething, but they are also completely washable. Indestructibles are also energetic, beautiful, and created just for baby. The printing material reproduces color artwork with uncommon depth, and with no residual inkiness; the artwork, paintings by Kaaren Pixton and reminiscent of Eric Carle, is happy, each page a simple, colorful image of an animal or bird or insect against a rich, textured background. The effect is 3D-like and completely visual. There are no words, making each perfect for parents and babies to look at together, with mom or dad telling the story. Three titles launch the series: Creep! Crawl! about animals that crawl, Flutter! Fly! about animals that fly, and Wiggle! March! about farm animals—books babies can really sink their teeth into.
Indestructibles: Mama and Baby! - Here is a book babies can really sink their gums into. Built for the way babies read, Indestructibles are printed on an amazing paperlike material that can’t be ripped, torn, or punctured. Indestructibles are 100 percent safe and nontoxic, and if they get too funky, just throw them in the washing machine or dishwasher. They’re made for baby to hold, grab, chew, pull, and bend, and are designed to create an even more special bond between reader and baby. Printed without words, the parent gets to make up the story, or just cuddle with baby while they explore together. Mama and Baby! is about mothers and babies of different species. Kaaren Pixton’s art is bright, swirling with color, and reminiscent of Eric Carle, and it attains an almost 3D richness on the special paperlike stock of the book.
Indestructibles are the 100 percent baby proof, chew proof, rip proof, completely washable, and nontoxic series of books. Books built for the way babies read, Indestructibles are printed on an amazing nontoxic, paperlike material that holds up to endless chewing, gumming, gnawing, grabbing, bending, and pulling. Then, once the books get dirty, parents can throw them in a dishwasher or washing machine to make them clean as new. The title is adapted from classic nursery rhymes and illustrated by Jonas Sickler. Sickler’s paintings are whimsical and fun, filled with dazzling textures and eye-popping color. They will grab and keep a baby’s attention, and delight adults. The book offers a multicultural twist on a classic nursery rhyme -- Old MacDonald Has a Farm, set in Bolivia is full of llamas, alpacas, sheep, and cows. The text for the nursery rhyme is printed on the back cover.
Announcing a brand new idea in publishing books for babies: the completely durable, completely safe Indestructibles. Published on the same paper-like material used in shipping envelopes, Indestructibles are 100% baby-proof: chew-proof, drool-proof, and rip-proof. That's because Indestructibles not only will not tear or turn gummy with teething, but they are also completely washable. Indestructibles are also energetic, beautiful, and created just for baby. The printing material reproduces color artwork with uncommon depth, and with no residual inkiness; the artwork, paintings by Kaaren Pixton and reminiscent of Eric Carle, is happy, each page a simple, colorful image of an animal or bird or insect against a rich, textured background. The effect is 3D-like and completely visual. There are no words, making each perfect for parents and babies to look at together, with mom or dad telling the story. Three titles launch the series: Creep! Crawl! about animals that crawl, Flutter! Fly! about animals that fly, and Wiggle! March! about farm animals—books babies can really sink their teeth into.
It can be lonely sometimes on a rainy day in a big house with no one else around and there’s only the quiet to keep you company. But if you find a key, a mysterious key, that leads you to an unexpected place . . . chances are your afternoon is about to get a lot more interesting.
A red crayon, an orange pumpkin, a purple cat, a black vampire, a white ghost and more are included in this adorable Halloween colors book for toddlers. With Lydia Nichols's fresh yet retro style illustrations and spot glitter making the cover extra festive, this board book is sure to be the perfect gift for young trick-or-treaters at Halloween.
Announcing a brand new idea in publishing books for babies: the completely durable, completely safe Indestructibles. Published on the same paper-like material used in shipping envelopes, Indestructibles are 100% baby-proof: chew-proof, drool-proof, and rip-proof. That's because Indestructibles not only will not tear or turn gummy with teething, but they are also completely washable. Indestructibles are also energetic, beautiful, and created just for baby. The printing material reproduces color artwork with uncommon depth, and with no residual inkiness; the artwork, paintings by Kaaren Pixton and reminiscent of Eric Carle, is happy, each page a simple, colorful image of an animal or bird or insect against a rich, textured background. The effect is 3D-like and completely visual. There are no words, making each perfect for parents and babies to look at together, with mom or dad telling the story. Three titles launch the series: Creep! Crawl! about animals that crawl, Flutter! Fly! about animals that fly, and Wiggle! March! about farm animals—books babies can really sink their teeth into.
Indestructibles: Frere Jacques - Indestructibles are the 100 percent baby proof, chew proof, rip proof, completely washable, and nontoxic series of books. Books built for the way babies read, Indestructibles are printed on an amazing nontoxic, paperlike material that holds up to endless chewing, gumming, gnawing, grabbing, bending, and pulling. Then, once the books get dirty, parents can throw them in a dishwasher or washing machine to make them clean as new. The title is adapted from classic nursery rhymes and illustrated by Jonas Sickler. Sickler’s paintings are whimsical and fun, filled with dazzling textures and eye-popping color. They will grab and keep a baby’s attention, and delight adults. The book offers a multicultural twist on a classic nursery rhyme -- in Frere Jacques, a sleeping pastry chef dreams of bonbons and crêpes flying over the streets of Paris. The text for the nursery rhyme is printed on the back cover.
The Bored Book - A brother and sister are bored and irritated visiting their grandfather. There's no TV, no video games or computers - only books! Sent by their grandfather into the attic, they discover a dusty volume that is unlike all the others. When they open it, it expands into a giant map. As the map grows larger and larger, filling the attic, the children fall into adventures that take them all over the world, face to face with sharks, pirates, knights, even an abominable snowman. Suddenly their visit is anything but boring! The Bored Book uses stunning illustrations, with no text, to remind youngsters of the unique adventures to be found in books. The hardcover edition of The Bored Book was nominated for the 2011 Sakura Medal.
Skunk on a String - When a skunk gets his foot caught in the string of a helium balloon, he finds himself blown through unfamiliar landscapes. What's a skunk to do?
Did you enjoy our children's book recommendations? Did we miss one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below!