I'm always excited when new books arrive at the Library, and I'm always very excited to discover a new wordless picture book that I love, like Float, by Daniel Miyares. I find it fascinating that a book with no words can convey such a moving experience for the reader. With the digitally rendered illustrations in Float you are immersed in the story of a young boy and his newspaper sailboat's journey that takes a twist during a watery adventure. Miyares' use of color, mostly grey and white with pastel highlights, emote the gloomy mood of a rainy day, the bright delight of a child at play, and the deep dark unknown beneath a water drain.
A wordless book helps create a sense of accomplishment for pre-readers in the 'reading' of a book by interpreting the illustrations into a complete story. For early readers, a wordless book helps improve narrative skills, as there is no set 'script' to the story - the story emerges from their imagination as they interpret the illustrations in their own unique way.
Wordless books are a captivating excursion into creative storytelling. They connect the reader and the listener and encourage them to observe the visual cues and clues to direct the narrative in ways that are as unique and profound as the reader and listener are themselves. I encourage you to take part in the experience of a wordless book and see where the story takes you!
--Toby
Here are some of my favorite wordless picture books:
And here's the rest of the list., opens a new window
