Children's Literature: Wordless Picture Books

n wordless panoramas a lone traveler approaches the New World from the West in the present day and journeys the width of the country backward through time, departing the east coast as the Santa Maria appears over the horizon.

The apple peddler replenishes his cart from the trees that grow from the discarded cores of the apples he sells.

In this wordless graphic novel, a man leaves his homeland and sets off for a new country, where he must build a new life for himself and his family.

When he stops to explore an abandoned house, Arthur stumbles into a dangerous adventure which he handles with calm resourcefulness and a bit of luck.

A wordless picture book showing the fun a dog has with her ball, and what happens when it is lost.

Everyone knows that a tiny acorn grows into a mighty oak and a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. But in this clever, visually enchanting volume, it's also true that a cow can result in both a bottle of milk and a painting of a cow, and an ape in a jungle may become an urban King Kong. Just as day turns into night and back again, a many-tiered cake is both created and eaten down to a single piece. With simple, graphic illustrations sure to appeal to even the youngest of children, this beautiful rumination on the passage of time will please the most discerning adult readers, too.

No one on the beach but the dog notices when a little boy is lifted into the sky by his kite but everyone notices when he comes down.

Two wooden dolls rearrange wooden building blocks to form various objects.

The movements and actions of a family camping in the woods cause the forest creatures to also move, scurry, and make noise.

In this innovative wordless picture book with interactive flaps, Flora and her graceful flamingo friend explore the trials and joys of friendship through an elaborate synchronized dance. With a twist, a turn, and even a flop, these unlikely friends learn at last how to dance together in perfect harmony.

The story of what happens when a camera becomes a piece of flotsam.

This wordless story follows a line which changes character as it travels through different landscapes.

See how a community of pigs makes ingenious use of a giant dandelion seed, just as an erupting volcano threatens their island.

The strawberry snatcher tries to wrest the strawberries from the grey lady but as he follows her through shops and woods he discovers some delicious blackberries instead.

A wordless picture book that observes the changes in a neighborhood from before a girl is born until she is an adult, as it first decays and then is renewed by the efforts of the residents.

When the discouraged hunter falls asleep, the forest animals play a trick on him.

When a boy visits an art museum and one of the paintings comes to life, he has an afternoon of adventure and discovery [that] changes how he sees the world ever after.

Using a red marker, a young girl draws a door on her bedroom wall and through it enters another world where she experiences many adventures, including being captured by an evil emperor.

A puppy joins a litter of kittens in their fun for a day.

In this wordless retelling of an Aesop fable set in the African Serengeti, an adventuresome mouse proves that even a small creature is capable of great deeds when she rescues the King of the Jungle.

A wordless picture book that shows a series of familiar scenes through many twists in point of view, such as a boy looking down out of a jet's window and another boy on the ground looking up at the same jet.

When the sun comes up a rabbit goes exploring in the meadow and sees many other animals.

A book about a book, a magical red book, without any words, and the friendship that develops around it.

Failing to get the attention of her busy father, a lonely girl turns back to a fantastic world for friendship and adventure. It's her third journey into the enticing realm of kings and emperors, castles and canals, exotic creatures and enchanting landscapes. This time, it will take something truly powerful to persuade her to return home.

While on a school trip to the Empire State Building, a boy is taken by a friendly cloud to visit Sector 7, where he discovers how clouds are shaped and channeled throughout the country.

Simple Pierrot dreams of his saucy sweetheart Columbine in this original story featuring the traditional comic characters.

When his snowman comes to life, a little boy invites him home and in return is taken on a flight high above the countryside.

Optical illusions form structures in which curious little men can go up stairs to get to a lower place, hang pictures on the ceiling, and walk on walls.

In this wordless picture book, a young Southern farm girl discovers a runaway slave hiding behind the corn crib in the barn and decides to help him.

A small girl wants to fly and succeeds after several attempts.

A wordless picture book that shows a little girl's first experiences at the beach, as she goes from being afraid of the roaring waves to playing on the shore while gulls soar overhead.

Through a wordless chain of events, a boy's toy monkey is lost in a rainstorm and retrieved only after it passes through many hands.

When a wolf cub and little girl are lost in a snowstorm they must find their way home.