Back again with wordless/nearly wordless picture books for storytime! I LOVE books with minimal text because they help kids build narrative skills, visual literacy skills, and best of all- they can be read in any language. 🙂
Did I miss a great book? Have you tried one of these titles yet? Was it a smashing success or a flop? Please share!
⭐️= favorite
👎= nope
⭐️Dude! by Aaron Reynolds & Dan Santat
One word, so many possibilities. Very reminiscent of Moo! by David LaRochelle. What a great book for building narrative skills and print awareness! This was a fun one to read over the summer during our ocean storytime.
Red by Jed Alexander
We all know how the story goes… or do we? A delightful wordless take of Little Red Riding Hood with a fun twist for readers at the end! Love the art. This would be super fun to read with a kindergarten or primary audience who bring a lot of background knowledge to the text!
⭐️Good Dog by Cori Doerrfeld
This book follows one lonely puppy’s plight in search of someone to love. Love the everyday diversity and minimal text!
Found by Jeff Newman & Larry Day
When a lonely little girl finds a lost dog, she thinks she’s found a new friend to love. What will she do when she finds out her new friend has a name, Roscoe, and someone else who loves him, too?
⭐️Stick by Irene Dickson
A stick can be fetched, or sent down a stream. A stick can draw pictures of whatever you dream! What a fun sunny day story about a boy, his dog, and a stick… and a new friend! Would go well with Not a Stick. Can’t wait to read this in storytime!
Pip & Pup by Eugene Yelchin
A baby chick gets a scary surprise when it tries to make a new friend! Perhaps poking the nose of a dozing dog isn’t the best way to start a relationship. But when bad weather rolls in, Pip & Pup discover a bond that sees them through both the rainy and bright days of spring.
⭐️Dog on a Digger by Kate Prendergast
This BEAUTIFULLY illustrated wordless picture book tells the tale of a brave, loyal dog on the job. Dog loves working the construction site… especially when they get to stop for snacks and see his playful puppy friend! But one day, Dog’s friend goes missing. Luckily there’s lots of handy equipment around to help save the day! Love the pencil art.
⭐️Bigger! Bigger! by Leslie Patricelli
The sky’s the limit when you’ve got lots of blocks and a big imagination! The repetition and big, bold text makes this a great book for building print awareness as well as narrative skills. Perfect STEAM-y read aloud for the toddler or preschool crowd.
⭐️Monkey Walk by Colleen Madden
One big sister is less than excited about taking a trip to the zoo, but a new exhibit finally catches her attention when the inhabitants start stealing her belongings! Using pictures to communicate, the various animals barter to get what they want before returning her hat and phone. A super fun and slightly zany story about there being more to the world than meets the eye!
Play by Jez Alborough
Bobo’s not quite ready to sleep when the sun sets in the jungle! Despite his Mama’s best efforts, Bobo keeps sneaking from his leafy bed to play again with his friends. What will he do when the sky gets dark and he roams too far? Great bedtime storytime book for toddlers or preschoolers.
⭐️The Crocodile and the Dentist by Taro Gomi
Fear is in the eye of the beholder! Read this several times last year and it was a big hit each time. Goes great with a literacy message about print awareness as well!
I Walk with Vanessa by Kerascoët
How can a story without words have so much to say? This wordless picture book speaks volume about the power of kindness and community. When a classmate sees Vanessa being bullied, she stays awake late into the night wondering what she can do to help. The very next day she offers to walk Vanessa to school. The girls are eventually joined by more and more children taking hands. I love the call to action! This is a good one to remember for reader’s advisory with parents/teachers.
Can’t get enough kidlit? Here’s my look back on 2018’s…
Concept Picture Books: Part One and Part Two
Storytime in the Stacks 
3 thoughts on “2018 Year in Review: Wordless & Nearly Wordless Picture Books”