Reading Wordless Children’s Books

What? How do you read a wordless picture book?

David Weisner is one of the greats for illustrating wordless children’s picture books. A Caldacott Medal winner for Flotsam and Tuesday and Caldacott Honor Award winner for Free Fall and Sector 7. David’s illustration is very detailed and tight representational. I love his illustration, personally.

Wordless picture books are pictures on their own, waiting to connect with a reader who will give words to their story. Successful wordless picture books have to draw the viewer in right away and draw out the child’s imagination.

When sharing a picture book with an audience, tell them you need help re-telling the story. Allow a member of the audience to name the main character. Any name, it doesn’t matter what it is. Ask the viewer what the main character is thinking or feeling. Use adjectives when possible. Ask the viewer how the main character is feeling based on the facial expression. What is the main character thinking? Use narrative based on the viewers to move the story along. Engage the viewer by having them tell you where their imaginations are going as they read the pictures in the book. What do they see happening in the story?

Some stories don’t need to be explained to be enjoyed. Without words, the reader is forced to look more closely at the pictures – looking for clues for the narrative. Words provide cues for how to look at the illustrations. Without them, you have to interpret.
As the narrator, calling attention to the details is key. I like to pour over the illustrations and point out all of the small details. Many illustrators enjoy hiding objects or characters in different places throughout the book challenging the viewer to find them. It’s up to the viewer to accept the challenge.

However, reading without words is both challenging and rewarding. The more you do it, the more you get out of wordless picture books. The gift is the creativity that inspires in the viewer.