Wordless Picture Books
Clear Plot
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
Breakfast for Jack by Pat Schories
Hug by Jez Alborough
The Ring by Lisa Maizlish
Peep! By Kevin Luthardt
Balloon Trip by R. Wegen
Do you want to be my Friend? By Eric Carle
Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaula
Early Morning in the Barn by Nancy Tafuri
Sidewalk Circus by Paul Fleischman and Kevin Hawkes
Books by Mercer Mayer:
Frog Goes to Dinner
Paddy Pork’s Holiday
Oops
A Boy, A Dog, and a Frog
Drip, Drop
Books by Emily Arnold McCully:
Four Hungry Kittens
School
The Christmas Gift
First Snow
New Baby
Detailed Artwork/more complex themes
(Best used with students who have a sense of story.)
Tuesday by David Wiesner
Window by Jeannie Baker
Anno’s Journey by Mitsumasa Anno
Zoom by Istvan Banyai
References
Adams, D. (200). Retrieved 06 05, 2003, from Writing Techniques Web site:
Andrea DeBruin-Parecki. (2005). Helping your child become a reader. 3rd ed. Jessup, MD: US Department of Education.
Matulka, D. I. (2005). Wordless picture books. Retrieved September 23, 2005, from
Reese, C. (1996). Story development using wordless picture books. The Reading Teacher, 50(2), 172-173.
Williams, B. O. (1994). Every picture tells a story: the magic of wordless books. School Library Journal, 40(8), 38-39.
A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words
Katie Lambeth Brann
2nd Grade
Walkertown Elementary School
RE 5040 Teacher as a Researcher
Should I use wordless picture books?
Wordless Picture books can be used with all levels of learners. Don’t fall into the misconception that only children who cannot read the text on the page can benefit from the use of wordless picture books. Students in high school and college can use this genre to build skills.
One-way wordless picture books can be used is as a transition from oral to written language. Reluctant writers in my second grade classroom used the illustrations to build confidence, which impacted their writing.
Some students find it more enjoyable to write about wordless picture books than to write from their own experiences or imaginations. Students can fill in their details when reading the pictures.
The greatest thing is that students are not bound by the text. They can make their own interpretations. (Reese, 172)
When selecting wordless picture books to use with your students, look for books that would be intriguing to young readers. Look for books that allow students to use their imagination. Lastly, select books in which students are able to follow the sequence of actions.
______
What can I teach using wordless picture books?
Main Idea
Inference
Drawing Conclusions
Cause and effect
New Vocabulary
Sequencing
Quotations/Dialog
Summarize
Punctuation
Verb Tense
Character, Plot, setting
Making Connections
______
Activities:
* Take a picture walk with a student and then have them read the story to you or tell the story together.
* Talk with students about the objects on the pages to build vocabulary.
* Let students read wordless picture books with a partner
* Have students create their own picture book with their own drawings or pictures from magazines.
*Let students write sentences on post-it notes about the pictures.
Above all:
*Plan activities to challenge the students and that have a purpose
*Help students to be comfortable writing in a variety of writing styles