Massachusetts School Library Association
            MEMBER PORTAL                
​Join or Renew     Member Directory​
  • Home
  • About Us
    • MSLA Leadership 2022-23
    • Executive Board Meetings
    • Joint Statements: MLA, MassCUE
    • Spotlight Archive
    • Strategic Plan 2016-22
    • MSLA Constitution
  • Membership
    • Member Portal
    • Join or Renew Your Membership
    • Members Map
    • Email List
    • Regions >
      • Boston
      • Northeast
      • Metrowest
      • Southeast
      • Central
      • West
  • Conference
    • MSLA and PDPs
  • Resources
    • DESE Rubric
    • Certification & Licensure
    • Program Standards & Rubrics
    • Job Description: School Librarian
    • Job Listings
    • MLS Strategic Planning
    • Intellectual Freedom
  • Advocacy
    • MA School Library Study for Equity & Access
    • Everyday Advocacy
    • ESSA
    • Exemplary Programs
  • Newsletter
    • 2023 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2023
    • 2022 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2022
      • May 2022
      • October 2022
    • 2021 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2021
      • May 2021
      • October 2021
    • 2020 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2020
      • May 2020
      • October 2020
    • 2019 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2019
      • May 2019
      • October 2019
    • 2018 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2018
      • May 2018
      • October 2018
    • 2017 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2017
      • May 2017
      • September 2017
      • October 2017
    • 2016 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2016
      • May 2016
      • October 2016
    • 2015 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • April 2015
      • November 2015
    • MSLA Forum 2002-2013
  • Awards
    • Judi Paradis Memorial Grant
    • Archive: History of Awards
    • 2019 Awards Pictures
    • 2018 Awards Pictures
    • 2017 Awards Pictures
    • 2016 Awards Pictures
    • 2015 Awards Pictures
  • Bookmark Contest
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
    • 2019 and 2018 Winners
    • 2016 and 2017 Winners
    • 2012 to 2015 Winners
    • 2009 to 2011 Winners
    • 2004 to 2008 Winners
    • Bookmark Judges

Picture Book Column: Storytelling Art: Wordless Picture Books

10/19/2021

0 Comments

 
Francesca Mellin is the Head Librarian at The Pike School in Andover

Wordless picture books are the ultimate example of “show, don’t tell.” Artists using this format have fewer constraints (no blocks of text to plan around) but also the greater responsibility of creating characters and advancing plot solely through visual means.
A similar framework exists for readers as they construct meaning from wordless picture books. Freed from the requirements of decoding words and building comprehension from lines of text, all readers can create their own story using schema and possibilities that are meaningful to them.

There are many ways to incorporate this format into instruction. Language Arts lessons on sequencing or perspective-taking can feature Bill Thompson’s Chalk in younger grades, or Flotsam by David Wiesner in older grades. Discussions about empathy or resilience can be enhanced by Lee’s Pool or Miyares’s Float. Last year, while teaching 7th grade English, I used picture book art as prompts for grammar practice.
Picture
Whether you’re a devotee of wordless picture books or simply want to learn more, I highly recommend a trip to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, where Speechless: the Art of Wordless Picture Books is on view. Curated by Wiesner, the exhibit, open through December 5, showcases a wide range of art. The museum is open Thursday through Sunday, and advanced tickets are highly recommended, plus, there’s a reduced admission of $6 for educators. For some ideas to try in your library, here are a dozen of my favorite wordless stories, some of which are also featured in the museum exhibit.
Picture

​Wave
by Suzy Lee

​
A girl’s encounter with the ocean is captured with vibrant charcoal and acrylic drawings that show beautifully to a story-time group. At first shy, the girl mimics the ocean’s roar, boldly dances at the water’s edge, and finally is caught by a giant wave which deposits treasure in the form of shells. The perspective, with its strong horizon line, stays constant, emphasizing the movement of the waves, the seagulls, and our exuberant heroine. Be sure to compare the beginning and final endpapers.

Picture

​Flotsam
by David Wiesner


A boy’s day at the beach turns extraordinary when he discovers an old-fashioned camera, a very different kind of ocean treasure. Panels packed with details advance the plot and illustrate an other-worldly underwater environment that has been documented by other children through the years.

Picture

​Pool
by JiHyeon Lee


Also a story of magical underwater discovery, Pool highlights the theme of friendship. A raucous group of swimmers, depicted in unflattering black and white tones, fades away as a boy and girl meet under the water. The color palette expands as they, too, discover whimsical creatures and emerge as friends. Recommended for reading with groups of older students where the concepts of shallowness and depth can be explored in large or small group discussions.

Picture

Journey
by Aaron Becker


The dull city gives way to an enticing river after a bored young girl, perhaps taking inspiration from Harold and his crayon, draws a door and steps through it. Double-page spreads and shifting perspectives are used to full advantage and immerse the reader in the escalating drama. The satisfying home-away-home framework is heightened by a surprise twist, foreshadowed on the title page. The wordless adventures continue in Quest and Return.

Picture

​Float
by Daniel Miyares


A paper boat, made from a newspaper page, is the source of possibility and heartbreak for a little boy on a rainy day. Clad in a bright yellow raincoat, he stands out against the muted backdrop of clouds and neighborhood. The strong left-to-right movement in the double-page spreads propels the story forward to its climax, followed by at-home comfort and a sun-washed finale. Directions for folding a paper boat and paper airplane are included on the endpapers, an ideal post-reading activity.

Picture

One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey
by Henry Cole


In this gentle limited-palette story, the focus is on family and sustainability. Beginning with the first endpaper, the visual prologue shows the process of paper bag manufacturing, from forest to grocery store. The bag, highlighted in medium brown and decorated with a heart from Dad, is then used for a boy’s school lunch. Delicate pen-and-ink drawings in spot sequences and panels show the boy growing up, always re-using the same bag. Hearts are added to the bag as he becomes first a husband, then a father. Finally, the bag returns to the earth, encircling a pine sapling as it is planted in a clearing.

Picture

Flashlight
by Lizi Boyd

​
Against a nighttime background of black and silver, a child explores the woods. The flashlight beam illuminates all manner of flora and fauna, rendered in delicate gouache hues. Small die-cuts create additional focal points. In a whimsical turnabout, several animals take possession of the flashlight and heighten the fun. Best for sharing with small groups, as there are a myriad of details to pore over and to question.

​

Picture

​Red Hat
by Lita Judge


A group of curious backyard animals discover a red hat, and a rollicking adventure ensues. Told through double-page spreads of lush watercolors, this is another excellent story-time choice. While technically not wordless (sound effects like “hiii-ya!” and “tink-a-tink” punctuate the pages), the action and emotion are brilliantly conveyed throughout, right down to the final mischievous endpaper.

Picture

​
​Pip & Pup
by Eugene Yelchin


Pip, a newly-hatched chick, spies a potential playmate across the barnyard. After several mini-dramas, including pecks, a chase scene, and a thunderstorm, the two form a firm friendship. Yelchin keeps the expressive pastel artwork close to the ground, immersing young readers in the animals’ world.

Picture


​Another
by Christian Robinson


Similar to Flashlight, this nighttime adventure starts with a bright, beckoning light and playful animals. A young girl follows a cat into a brightly lit, whimsical dimension. The upside-down perspective invites the viewer to rotate the book, and the bold collages and inventive use of space emphasize the other-worldy atmosphere.

Picture


​Chalk
by Bill Thompson


Three friends find some chalk at a playground and discover its magical power in another excellent read-aloud choice. Double-page spreads with hyper-realistic acrylic art show the characters’ emotions, while the perspective zooms upward as the tension rises.


Picture

​Field Trip to the Moon
by John Hare

​
Color is used to excellent effect in this space-based adventure. A space shuttle, in bright school-bus yellow, arrives to transport young space-suited students to the moon. Against deep black space and moon-grey craters, one student makes an amazing discovery and shares the power of creativity, using a box of crayons.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Forum Newsletter

    Co-Editors
    Reba Tierney and
    ​Luke Steere

    Reba is the School Librarian at Waltham High School; Luke is School Librarian at  Wilson Middle in Natick

    Click to set custom HTML

    Categories

    All
    AASL
    Academic
    Advocacy
    ALA
    Authors
    Book Bans
    Book Challenges
    Book Trailers
    Cataloging
    Censorship
    Column
    Conference
    Copyright
    Culture
    Databases
    Dewey
    Digital Citizenship
    E Books
    E-books
    Elementary
    ESSA
    Ethics
    Evaluation
    Graphic Books
    Graphic Novels
    Inquiry
    Leadership
    Learning Commons
    Legislation
    Literacy
    Maker Space
    Nonfiction
    Orientation
    Planning
    PLN
    President's Remarks
    Professional Development
    Reading
    Research
    Science
    Secondary
    Standards
    Technology
    Union
    Volunteers
    Weeding

    Archives

    February 2023
    October 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    October 2021
    May 2021
    February 2021
    October 2020
    May 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    May 2019
    February 2019
    October 2018
    May 2018
    February 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    October 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    April 2015

    MSLA Forum Past Issues:
    January 2015
    April 2015
    ​
    2002-2015 MSLA Forum
The Massachusetts School Library Association  works to ensure every school has a school library program that is fully integrated at all grade levels across the curriculum and has a significant and measurable impact on student achievement….Read more…..and Learn more about MSLA

Contact MSLA:
Emily Kristofek, Office Manager/Event Planner
P.O. Box 336. Wayland, MA 01778
ekristofek@maschoolibraries.org
​
508-276-1697 

Massachusetts School Library Association. All Rights Reserved.  Copyright 2023.