Wordless and Wonderful

Join Kellee and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and share your picture books or YA reading!

We have been a focused little bunch in my kindergarten classroom working to draw pictures that tell a story. In an effort to continue to show some great examples of well illustrated stories I have been on a hunt for more wordless books. Here were my findings.

Enchanted Lion Books has a six book series that includes three authors of "Stories Without Words." The titles include Ice and The Giant Seed by Arthur Geisert. The chicken Thief, Fox and Hen Together, and Rooster's Revenge a trilogy of stories by Béatrice Rodriguez. Bear Despair, the most recent publication by Gaëtan Dorémus. Each one of these stories has captivating characters with simple yet detailed illustrations. Some of the illustrations are done only with pen. Some are ink and watercolor with the characters darkly outlined. I am so excited to have come across these books. They are just the thing I need to show how details can be done in simple ways while carrying a big message.

I also came across the book Looking Down by Steve Jenkins. This book is illustrated with torn paper and cutouts. It begins with a look from space and each page zeros in closer to the final page, a magnified illustration. I think I will save this one for later when I introduce maps and globes in our social studies units.

Finally, The Umbrella by Ingrid and Dieter Schubert. This is a story of a dog who finds an umbrella that becomes his transport across the world. A beautiful book and a fantastic story of the awe that would be if one experienced the world in this way.