There is something about a beautiful wordless picture book that just captures my heart. The incredible way that illustrations can carry a story with rich detail and emotion. The amazing ones are some of the best books I have ever read.
Using wordless books with kids can also build pre-literacy and early literacy skills, promote oral language skills, and more. Just one more reason they’re awesome.
If you haven’t already, now is the time to request these from the library or hunt them down at your local bookstore.
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21 Best Wordless Picture Books
1. I Walk with Vanessa: A Story about a Simple Act of Kindness
by Kerascoet
Brilliant and timely book about what one girl does when she sees a classmate get bullied.
2. Wave
by Suzy Lee
Suzy Lee is a fantastic illustrator. She captures the simplistic wonder of the ocean perfectly. With just black and white illustrations splashed with blue, she captures a child’s playful exploration with the waves coming in and out.
3. Lines
by Suzy Lee
I could put a ton of Suzy Lee books on this list, but I’ll limit myself to two. The one above and this beautiful Winter ice skating story. So much movement captured with simple lines.
4. Picnic
by Emily Arnold McCully
I believe this was the first wordless book I ever read – that probably gives you an idea of how old it is, but that combined with the fact that you can still buy it should also tell you what a classic it is. A timeless story full of character, family, and adventure. FIRST SNOW by the same author is also adorable.
5. Red Sled
by Lita Judge
This is one of my favorite books to pull out in the Winter. Truthfully there are some word-ish like words – sound effects really, but the pictures tell the story and it’s a fun one.
6. The Journey Trilogy
by Aaron Becker
You’ve most likely seen at least one of these gorgeous bestsellers. They are all full of magic and wonder.
7. Waltz of the Snowflakes
by Elly Mackay
Incredible. In fact I was several pages in before I realized it was wordless because I was so soaked into the story words weren’t needed. It tells the story of a little girl and her grandmother who trudge from rainy gray to the Nutcracker. This is a must read Christmas story.
8. Flora and the Peacocks
by Molly Idle
This is part of a trilogy of stories about Flora and different birds. They are all beautiful, boldly illustrated, and tell wonderful stories about friendship.
9. Mr. Hulot at the Beach
by David Merveille
This black and white tale has a different feel than most of the books on this list, but it’s humorous. Mr. Hulot has a quirky misadventure that makes me laugh out loud.
10. I Got It!
by David Wiesner
This nearly wordless tale has you in the outfield of a little league baseball game. You feel the tension and heat of the moment through the pictures.
11. The Carpenter
by Bruna Barros
A little boy, his dad and some tools. That is all it takes to make this little book a magical story about imagination. This one leaves me feeling full of possibility.
12. Another by Christian Robinson
Sly, playful, creative. Carefully crafted, this wordless book makes you wonder and begs you to turn the page as you follow a little girl and her cat. Full of imagination and adventure and just a touch of humor. This is unlike anything you’ve read before and is so much fun.
13. Spencer’s New Pet
by Jessie Sima
Oh this is so clever. It is described as a classic tale of a boy and his dog – except in this unique story, one of them is a balloon! Entirely wordless, you follow the boy and his balloon dog through town as they narrowly evade various pointy obstacles and wind gusts. I don’t know that I’ve ever described a wordless book as suspenseful or a page turner before, but this is definitely both. You will sit on the edge of your seat until the surprising end.
14. Field Trip to the Ocean Deep
by John Hare
Following up the FIELD TRIP TO THE MOON book by the author/illustrator, this is a creative and unique adventure under the sea. Completely wordless, this picture book beautifully shares the story of a class who goes on a field trip in a submarine and one student gets left behind (and eventually rescued). It is full of adventure and quiet excitement. The mostly muted, dark illustrations have pops of color and stunning use of light. This book has science, drama, and heart and that this is achieved without words is impressive.
15. The Farm and the Monkey
by Marla Frazee
Wordless. Gentle. Quiet. Amusing. This is all the lovely things. It is a story of a farmer who receives a surprise visitor – a monkey. The monkey is a bit of a handful and the farmer isn’t so sure he wants this ball of energy on his farm. It is the story of sometimes what you need is what you expect or plan. It is a story about how life surprises you. It is so good.
16. Over the Shop
by JonArno Lawson
illustrated by Qin Leng
Wordless stories, when done well, encourage you to slow down and look closely at the illustrations more than you would normally. This book is full of wonderful details and a heartwarming story of how a small change can impact a whole community. It is the renting of a shabby apartment over a grocery store to new tenants that changes the lives of not only the little girl and her grandparent who run the store, but the whole neighborhood. A warm, beautiful story about seeing potential, adding beauty and light to your world, and finding your family.
17. One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey
by Henry Cole
A message about reusing things threaded into a darling tale about one paper bag and a beautiful life. A simple, but lovely wordless book that makes you look closely and think about the things you use every day a little differently.
18. FISH
by Liam Francis Walsh
FISH was written by a cartoonist and it shows. Illustrated in cartoonist or graphic novel fashion with blocks telling the story, this uses excellent action, page turns, and comedy to tell of an epic journey. It plays with letter and text. It has a surprising ending. It is inventive and creative and oh so much fun.
19. The Midnight Fair
by Gideon Sterer and Mariachiara Di Giorgio
This wordless story brings forest animals and the circus together in a magical, dreamy tale of imagination and playfulness. Panels and gorgeous spreads tell the story of the animals waiting until the circus closes, wandering into to explore and enjoy all of it’s entertainment, and then hastily exiting just as the sun rises. It’s one of those stories that feels like it originated in a dream or a child’s imagination.
20. Once Upon a Forest
by Pam Fong
In the aftermath of a forest fire a determined marmot and her bird friend try to regrow trees. It is a wordless story and the artwork is beautiful. The color palate to simple and the art is delicate. What I loved most is the are and determination of this little animal. A timely and inspiring story.
21. A Day for Sandcastles
by JonArno Lawson
illustrated by Qin Leng
Every now and then you read a book and you just feel seen. Your experience is so perfectly captured. A DAY FOR SANDCASTLES does that for me about a childhood day at the beach. The story is essentially just siblings trying to build a sand castle. All the things that you expect to go wrong with that go wrong. For me it’s the details. The way wind plays such a factor in so many of the illustrations. The seagulls trying to take their lunch. This is a wordless book and the illustrations manage all on their own to make you feel, experience, remember. A beautiful picture book for summer.
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