One of the most popular picture books of last year was comedian and actor B.J. Novak’s The Book with No Pictures. The book, which really does have only words and no pictures, compels the reader to say some very silly things out loud.

But what about a picture book that has no words? How on earth do you ‘read’ it? Put simply, it’s up to you and the little person sitting with you to supply your own words and story.

There are many advantages to wordless picture books. It makes it possible to enjoy stories with kids who have reading difficulties, kids who love storytelling but can’t write and read yet, kids who may not be proficient in the same language as you, or kids who are naturally more visual in their learning and thinking. Wordless picture books encourage keen observation and discussions about context. They can also fire imagination and free-wheeling thinking.

If you’re new to this type of reading, here are some suggestions to get you started.

DIFFERENT WAYS TO READ A WORDLESS PICTURE BOOK WITH YOUR CHILD

• Let your young reader take the reins, and ask them to tell you the story in their own words. It can be just as fun and creative when the story is nonsensical or contrary to what’s happening in the pictures.
• Tell the story together by taking it in turns to say what’s happening on each page.
• Make up the story collaboratively with a group of kids. You could ask them to make suggestions about what’s happening, and then vote on the most popular twist for the story to take.
• Read the book backwards. Start at the end and see if you can make a coherent story as you move towards the beginning.
• Ask lots of questions on every page. You might even like to make predictions about what’s going to happen next, or discuss different interpretations of what’s happening and what characters might be thinking.
• Read the book in silence, together.
• Provide a soundtrack together, just like you would for a silent movie. Do character voices, and create sounds for actions and events. You might even want to pick some favourite songs that suit the tone and atmosphere of the story.
• Have a bilingual story experience. Name objects, places and characters, and tell the same, or completely different, stories in two languages.

A FEW OF OUR FAVOURITE WORDLESS PICTURE BOOK

• The Umbrella by Dieter Schubert and Ingrid Schubert: A little dog travels around the world, from forest to snowy mountain, with the world’s most versatile red umbrella. This is a great book for digging into the sensory details of each picture; each exotic location the dog flies to has different smells, tastes, touches, sights and sounds to describe. For ages 4 and up.
  
  
• Flora and the Peacocks by Molly Idle: Flora has her hands full trying to dance with two very jealous peacocks. This is a delightful book encouraging kids to interpret body language and facial expressions, and could be helpful to a child who struggles to read faces and emotions. It also has some amazing lift-the-flaps and a pop-up surprise at the end. For ages 3 and up.
  
  
• The Arrival by Shaun Tan: A man leaves his troubled country of origin without his family and sets forth for a new life in a new land. Tan’s fantastical sepia illustrations perfectly convey the strangeness of buildings, animals, modes of transport and language in a new place, and open up discussions about migration, difference, loneliness, resilience, friendship and family. This is a longer wordless graphic novel suitable for ages 10 and up.
  
  
• Mirror by Jeannie Baker: This wonderful book features Jeannie Baker’s trademark collage style, and contains two family stories to be read simultaneously, one taking place in Sydney and the other in Morocco. Readers will enjoy exploring the differences and similarities in the daily life of each family, realising finally that the two stories are connected, and that people are people, wherever they are in the world. For ages 4 and up.
  
  
• Journey by Aaron Becker: A bored little girl picks up a red crayon, draws a doorway on her bedroom wall and embarks on an amazing journey by boat, magic carpet and hot air balloon. When she sees a trapped bird, she risks her own safety to save it, and makes a new friend. A wonderful book for using verbs and creating action scenes. For ages 4 and up.
  
  
• Footpath Flowers by JonArno Lawson and Sydney Smith: A girl walks with her dad, who is more attentive to his phone than the surrounds of the city. The girl slowly collects all the flowers she sees growing wild, and then passes them on as gifts to strangers. Splashes of colour are used to celebrate seeing beauty and detail in the world, and the effects of the girl’s generosity could spark a conversation. For ages 5 and up.
  
  
• The Snowman by Raymond Briggs: A boy’s snowman creation comes to life, the two go on a whimsical, fantastical adventure, and in the morning, the snowman has melted away. This is a magical and dreamy story of friendship, with a comic-style boxed format that could inspire kids to draw their own stories. For ages 3 and up.

Leanne Hall