Community Corner
Pima County Public Library Asked To Read Wordless Books To Spark Your Kid’s Imagination
Reading helps children understand how text works and positions them to increase their language and literacy skills throughout their lives.
December 10, 2020
Find out what's happening in Tucsonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
It may seem counterintuitive to read picture books with no words, but there are many benefits in your child creating their own story. Reading books without words encourages your child to use their imagination to make a story, which in turn helps them develop critical thinking skills and improve their prediction-making abilities.
So how do you read books without words? There is no wrong way to do it! Picture books without words offer a world of opportunities to explore books in new ways. Start from the back of the book and work your way forward! Start from the middle and guess what is happening! There are so many ways to read a picture book without words; the possibilities are endless.
Find out what's happening in Tucsonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Here are some general tips for approaching these types of books:
- Look at the cover of the book
- Ask your child what they think the story will be about. What colors and images can they see?
- Read the title and make predictions about the story based on the title.
- Take a picture walk!
- Skim through all of the pages and talk about the illustrations. Ask your child what they see happening. What do they think will happen next?
- Encourage your child to tell their own version of the story using their words.
- Have your child narrate what they see. Ask them prompting questions – what do they see? What do they think will happen next? How do the characters feel? What are the characters doing?
- Ask your child questions about the book!
- What was their favorite picture? Which was their favorite part of the story? Is there another way to tell the story?
The best part about these wordless books is that there is no wrong way to tell the story, and there are so many stories you can make out of one book! Ask your child to make a new story! Read the book over and over in new and fun ways!
Your child will learn so much and explore their own imagination by controlling the story telling. Someday, your child may begin writing stories of their own – and maybe even become an author! – but right now making up their own stories with wordless books is a great way to encourage critical thinking, imagination, and fun!
Here are some wordless books to get you started:
Cat on the Bus Cat on the Bus
Book, 2016Available View detailsView details for Cat on the Bus, Book, Available Place holdFor LaterAdd Cat on the BusBook by Kim, Aram to your for later shelfAdd Cat on the BusBook by Kim, Aram to a different shelf
Draw the Line Draw the Line
Otoshi, KathrynOtoshi, Kathryn
Book, 2017Available View detailsView details for Draw the Line, Book, Available Place holdFor LaterAdd Draw the LineBook by Otoshi, Kathryn to your for later shelfAdd Draw the LineBook by Otoshi, Kathryn to a different shelf
Look! Look!
Book, 2015Available View detailsView details for Look!, Book, Available Place holdFor LaterAdd Look!Book by Mack, Jeff to your for later shelfAdd Look!Book by Mack, Jeff to a different shelf
The Boy & the Book The Boy & the Book
[a Wordless Story]Slater, David MichaelSlater, David Michael
Book, 2015Available View detailsView details for The Boy & the Book, Book, Available Place holdFor LaterAdd The Boy & the BookBook by Slater, David Michael to your for later shelfAdd The Boy & the BookBook by Slater, David Michael to a different shelf
The Red Book The Red Book
Lehman, BarbaraLehman, Barbara
Book, 2004Available View detailsView details for The Red Book, Book, Available Place holdFor LaterAdd The Red BookBook by Lehman, Barbara to your for later shelfAdd The Red BookBook by Lehman, Barbara to a different shelf
Mr. Wuffles! Mr. Wuffles!
Book, 2013Available View detailsView details for Mr. Wuffles!, Book, Available Place holdFor LaterAdd Mr. Wuffles!Book by Wiesner, David to your for later shelfAdd Mr. Wuffles!Book by Wiesner, David to a different shelf
Ah Ha! Ah Ha!
Book, 2013Available View detailsView details for Ah Ha!, Book, Available Place holdFor LaterAdd Ah Ha!Book by Mack, Jeff to your for later shelfAdd Ah Ha!Book by Mack, Jeff to a different shelf
Little Fox in the Forest Little Fox in the Forest
Graegin, StephanieGraegin, Stephanie
Book, 2017Available View detailsView details for Little Fox in the Forest, Book, Available Place holdFor LaterAdd Little Fox in the ForestBook by Graegin, Stephanie to your for later shelfAdd Little Fox in the ForestBook by Graegin, Stephanie to a different shelf
Pancakes for Breakfast Pancakes for Breakfast
DePaola, Tomie, 1934-DePaola, Tomie, 1934-
Book, 1978Available View detailsView details for Pancakes for Breakfast, Book, Available Place holdFor LaterAdd Pancakes for BreakfastBook by DePaola, Tomie to your for later shelfAdd Pancakes for BreakfastBook by DePaola, Tomie to a different shelf
The Lion & the Mouse The Lion & the Mouse
Book, 2009Available View detailsView details for The Lion & the Mouse, Book, Available Place holdFor LaterAdd The Lion & the MouseBook by Pinkney, Jerry to your for later shelfAdd The Lion & the MouseBook by Pinkney, Jerry to a different shelf
Kelli, Children's Librarian, Oro Valley Library
Read, Write, Talk, Sing, Play!
Reading helps children understand how text works and positions them to increase their language and literacy skills throughout their lives.
Read more about early literacy and how you can make a difference in your child's life.
This press release was produced by the Pima County Public Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
