Wordless Picture Books
Hi Class,
We have just looked at a few wordless picture books by David Wiesner. I like his ability to imagine strange and fantastic situations. What is the purpose of a wordless picture book?
April 10, 2007
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I think the purpose is to help other people get their imaginations going! Maybe he does that to make it so you should come up with the words yourself. I think that is a really cool way to paint a picture in your mind!
Thanks
Katherine L
I think the purpose of a wordless picture book is stretching the reader’s imagination and mind. Maybe also letting them tell the story. Let them be the author. I think it’s a great way for little kids, big kids, and adults to connect and enjoy a book because you can discuss each other’s thoughts on the pictures. I think wordless books are pretty cool! – Graham
What i think that the point in is wordless books are is that kids can make the words or, make what they think what might happen. I really like them a lot because you dont have to be a good reader to look at them.
bailey
the perpoes of the no words picture books is so young and older people can up your own storyies. A other perpoes is so you can just look at the pictues. Do you like no word pictue books? Write back soon.
maevel
Wow, those picture books were really awesome. My favorite one was Tuesday becuase I thought that it had a lot of good drawings. It was also really interesting in Flotsom how the people were holding up pictures of eachother.
That is a good question. The point of wordless picture books is to make you understand that you don’t need words for a book and also to help you and your ability to read pictures.
Sam M.
The purpose of a wordless picture book is quite simple, the author wants you to use your imagination to make your own story for a picture. Another reason is so you can realize that different people think of different things even when they’re looking at the same thing.
I think the purpose of a wordless picture book is that it lets the reader use theur thinking to try and guess what the story. It’s also sometmes a little more fun to see it then to read it. For example, rather then saying “The storm knocked down many powerlines.” It’s a little more fun to see knocked down powerlines with wind and rain in a picture.
Hi Alexandra,
Sometimes, when we are still learning to find all the amazing words to describe what we see around us, we find that a picture can convey so much more. Pictures are wonderful for how much we can *see* in them. Some pictures tell so much. I know the pictures from Material World tell amazing stories.
Thanks for writing,
Mrs. B.
I think wordless picture books are pretty neat. I think the purpose of them is so you can have your own story following the illustrations. Also sometimes books with pictures can attract more kids. All kids can have a different imagination.
Hi Brian,
I like your comment about all kids (and any person for that matter) having a different imagination. Another way of saying that might be to recognize that we all have different ways of seeing and talking about the same images or events. What becomes important is to listen to the other person’s point of view. You have made a wonderful discovery.
Thanks for writing,
Mrs. B.
I think his books all hold a different story and different messeges. He is an amazing artest and has a mind of his own. The purpose of his writing is to inspire kids to have imagination. I personaly don’t like his type os writing but other kids like that ype of writing a lot.
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for writing – well, if we’re talking about wordless picture books, then it’s not really writing, but rather illustrating that we must describe. I wonder if we can call illustrations in a picture book Art, or are they just pretty pictures? Hmmm? I’m not sure, just thinking out loud. I like the illustrations in the Wiesner books and they are imaginative, are they art?
See you in class,
Mrs. B.
I think wordless picture books are so cool! I think the purpose is to have people use their imagination. I also think they’re cool because if some people have a weakness in reading all they really have to do is comprehend what the pictures.
Hi Madison,
Yes, they are really cool and one purpose of a wordless picture book is to have us use our imaginations. What I love about pictures is that there is so much to see and just describing it makes your vocab so much richer.
Thanks for writing,
Mrs. B.
Hi! I loved the wordless picture books. There so funny and cool! I like the book ” Sector 7 ” . I love “Tuesday”. Flying frogs are so cool! ” June 29, 1999 ” is interesting to! Basically I love all of David Wiesner’s books. I love to read but I don’t think that I have seen a wordless book before. His drawings make you think so many different things. Also there are lots of little things that you don’t see if you just flip through. Which is your favorite book? Or do you love all of them like me? Bye Bye!
Hi Cordelia,
I’m glad I could introduce you to wordless picture books. They are like icing on a cake – pure pleasure and fun to look at over and over again. As you said, there are lots of things you don’t see the first time you look at the book. Which one is my favorite? Hard to say – I like them all and each one presents us with something new to enjoy. There are other illustrators whose work is also wonderful. Maybe we should look for more of them.
Thanks for writing,
Mrs. B.
Hi I like the Wordless books because you get to make funny noises to go with the book. David Wiesner has a great imagination. By Sheena G
I agree Sheena, I think I like to make funny noises to go with the stories – I like acting out the stories too. Maybe I missed being in drama club in high school. Who knows? I think David Wiesner is a very talented artist with a superior imaginaton.
Thanks for writing,
Mrs. B.
I think pictre books is for everyone so they can make up their own story using their imagination by looking at the pictures.
Hi Eric C,
I like picture books. Yes, they are for everyone because we all have imaginations and “reading” a wordless book helps us to improve our storytelling skills.
Thanks for writing,
Mrs. B.
I think those books were pretty cool. I liked Flotsam. The fish were cool.
Hi Halsey,
Can you imagine how cool some of those pictures would be if they were part of a movie or a video game? Flotsam is a spectacular piece of art and imagination; I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for writing,
Mrs. B.
My favorite book is Tuesday because every time you look at the pictures you notice something new. The topic is very original, though that is why I like it. It is very interesting to look at. I think the book is aton of fun to look at. I love all the facial expressions on the frogs and humans. The book lets your immagination run.
Hi Emily,
I like Tuesday for the same reasons! Those frogs have the best facial expressions – you can tell so much from them. Imagination is a great blessing.
Mrs. B.
I think that wordless picture books are cool, because you can make up your own story to go with it! Most people think that there is no point in reading or looking at wordless picture books. But I think that is awful because there is a lot of meaning to most of the wordless picture books. My friend she does not like how I read wordless picture books!Bye!
Hi Leanne,
Well, if you share your enjoyment of any kind of book with your friend, then maybe she will learn to like them too. It’s especially true if you are enthusiastic. Keep on enjoying what makes you happy and let your friend know there are many things worth liking.
Thanks for writing,
Mrs. B.
I think they make wordless picture books so you can create your own words for the story. I think wordless picture books are very interesting. At home I have a book called Zoom. It starts with the feathers of a chicken, which is on a farm play set, which is on a magazine…. I think wordless picture books are really nice.
Hi Isabel,
I agree with your idea about why authors/illustrators make wordless picture books. The author doesn’t have to do very much writing! Maybe illustrators use wordless picture books as a way to help us to see and to break free of looking at things in the same way all the time.
Thanks for writing,
Mrs. B.
Wordless picture books are a way for people who are not the greatest writers, to express them self. Also, they benefit small children who are unable to read. Also, people in other countries do not need to translate to understand what the author means.
Hi Nate,
Well, I can’t say whether a great illustrator needs to be a great writer, but it seems that they express themselves really well without a single word. Wow! That’s a gift to be able to do.
Thanks for writing,
Mrs. B.
I think that wordless picture books are good for poeple who cannot talk because if they want to read out loud to a group they can and the audince can make up the story as the person shows the pictures.
Hi Ethan,
Telling a story with pictures and without talking is quite a talent. I think that even sharing the pictures between two people who speak different languages brings people together. What do you think?
Thanks for writing,
Mrs. B.
I think that picture books with out words are fun because you can make the story up based on the pictures! I also love other kinds like chapter books wth out pictures because you can imagine what every thing looks like. I really enjoy picture and word books like the kind that get Caldecot Medals beacause it is all there for you but really, I love ALL books and I LOVE to read!
Hi Liza,
I am so glad that you love to read. I love to read also. I think I read all the books by Marguerite Henry when I was in fifth grade because I wanted to own a horse. Little did I know that you couldn’t have horses in your tiny backyard in the town in which I grew up. I also liked reading all kinds of books including Nancy Drew and many different biographies. I’ll read anything, even the cereal box.
Thanks for writing,
Mrs. B.
I think wordless picture books are good for people that can’t read. Also it is good for people that just want to give their eyes a rest from words.
Hi Brendan,
I like the way you say that wordless picture books give our “eyes a rest from words”, that is a very cool image. It makes me see that part of my brain gets a rest when I am “reading” a wordless picture book. Hmmm, reading pictures…. nice choice of words.
Mrs. B.
Wordless picture books are awesome! David Weisner illustations are awesome! Especially Flotsam! Thanks!
Hey Mike W., Awesome comment! You are so right about David Weisner. Some picture books are more fun to read aloud than others. Can you tell that I really like his books a lot? Flotsam is one that I would like to own – just to be able to keep seeing all the images and stories Mr. Weisner has hidden in his pictures.
Mrs. B.
Wordless picture books are sweet because you do not have to read and you can just look at the pictures.
Hi Storm,
Thanks for writing! I like to look at the pictures too. If you read some of the other posts about picture books, you will see that I like to “read” the pictures. Pictures tell a story. When we put our words with the wordless picture books we are getting better at telling a story. That helps us to become better readers of words. I hope that wasn’t a confusing comment. Let me know. I’m so glad you wrote.
Mrs. B.