Wordless/Almost Wordless Picture Books

Updated September 7, 2024
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Rainstorm
Lehman, Barbara
Paper Book
It can be lonely sometimes on a rainy day in a big house with no one else around and there's only the quiet to keep you company. But if you find a key, a mysterious key, that leads you to an unexpected place . . . chances are your afternoon is about to get a lot more interesting.
Pancakes for breakfast
DePaola, Tomie
Paper Book
This wordless picture book follows the trials of a little old lady who attempts to make pancakes for her breakfast. “The optimistic determination of the woman and the gentle humor of the illustrations make this an appealing book for the very young.”--School Library Journal
Have you seen my duckling?
Tafuri, Nancy.
Paper Book
In this classic and bestselling Caldecott Honor winner, a mother duck loses her duckling--and finds it, with the help of sharp-eyed young readers.  "As fresh as spring."--The Horn Book "Children will return to this one again and again . . . a reassuring story of youthful...
Field trip to the moon
Hare, John, (Children's book illustrator)
Paper Book
It's field trip day, and students are excited to travel on their yellow spaceship bus from their space station to the moon in this wordless picture book. An ALA Notable Children's Book A Golden Duck Notable Picture Book Climb aboard the spaceship bus for a...
I walk with Vanessa
Kerascoët
Paper Book
This simple yet powerful picture book--from a New York Times bestselling husband-and-wife team--tells the story of one girl who inspires a community to stand up to bullying. The perfect back-to-school read for every kid, family and classroom! Don't miss the companion book,...
Bear despair
Dorémus, Gaëtan
Paper Book
Don't ever take a bear's teddy bear, no matter how cute you think it is. If you do, you'll be in for trouble. Big trouble. For a bear whose teddy has been stolen isn't simply heartbroken, but determined to get it back. So determined that he might just gobble up more than honey to do so!...
Fox's garden
Princesse Camcam
Paper Book
One snowy night, a fox loses its way, entering a village. Chased away by the grown ups, Fox takes shelter in a greenhouse. A little boy sees this from his window. Without hesitating, he brings a basket of food to the greenhouse, where he leaves it for the fox. His gift is noticed and the...
Fossil
Thomson, Bill
Paper Book
When a boy and his dog go for a hike, the boy trips on a fossil, and it comes to life, revealing an ancient plant. The boy is so intrigued that he breaks two more fossils that come to life--a dragonfly and a pteranodon. When these prehistoric creatures collide with present reality, the boy must...
Wolf in the snow
Cordell, Matthew
Paper Book
Winner of the Caldecott Medal, now a classic story of kindness for all families. A girl is lost in a snowstorm. A wolf cub is lost, too. How will they find their way home? Paintings rich with feeling tell this satisfying story of friendship and trust....
Last night
Yum, Hyewon.
Paper Book
A little girl doesn't like her dinner and is sent to her room. She seeks comfort from her friend Bear and falls asleep. So begins a fantastic dream voyage deep into the forest, where the girl and her friend dance and play all night. And in the morning, mother and child make up. With...
A ball for Daisy
Raschka, Christopher.
Paper Book
CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER . NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . This charming, wordless picture book vibrantly explores the joy and sadness that having a special toy can bring. A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST PICTURE BOOK OF THE CENTURY "Raschka's genius lies in capturing the...
Changes, changes
Hutchins, Pat
Paper Book
A charming, wordless picture book that the very youngest can "read" all by themselves. The little wooden couple are happy in their building-block house--until it catches fire. The solution? They transform the house into a fire engine! But then there's so much water that they have...
I got it!
Wiesner, David
Paper Book
Three-time Caldecott winner and bestseller David Wiesner works his visual magic in this near-wordless account of the most suspenseful, nerve-wracking few seconds in a baseball game. David Wiesner brings his trademark artistry and rich imagination to the iconic American...
Do you want to be my friend?
Carle, Eric.
Paper Book
A classic friendship story from the beloved Eric Carle, creator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This is a simple and nearly wordless picture book for children to explore in a variety of ways. Shared with little ones, the bright pictures showing a small gray mouse's search for the perfect...
Owly & Wormy, friends all aflutter!
Runton, Andy.
Paper Book
Owly and Wormy want some butterflies. But when they come home from the nursery with a plant that will attract some fluttering friends, all that show up are fat, green bug things. Bug things are NOT butterflies! But, they are nice and fun and good at sleep outs under the stars and always up for a...
The farmer and the clown
Frazee, Marla
Paper Book
Whimsical and touching images tell the story of an unexpected friendship and the revelations it inspires in this moving, wordless picture book from two-time Caldecott Honor medalist Marla Frazee. A baby clown is separated from his family when he accidentally bounces off their...
Flashlight
Boyd, Lizi
Paper Book
Named an NPR Best Book of the Year and Junior Library Guild Selection, this wordless storybook with stunning illustrations aims to lighten the fear of the dark and the noises that come with it. "Flashlight allows readers to experience the wonder and excitement of...
The chicken thief
Rodriguez, Béatrice.
Paper Book
In this wordless story that is both funny and sweet, a fox steals a hen away from her home. Bear, rabbit, and rooster give chase, but in a twist on the usual children's story, this fox is not a villain. Rather, he tenderly holds hen as he runs into the night. A funny and life-affirming...
Wave
Lee, Suzy
Paper Book
New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book 2008 In this evocative wordless book, internationally acclaimed artist Suzy Lee tells the story of a little girl's day at the beach. Stunning in their simplicity, Lee's illustrations, in just two...
Wonder bear
Nyeu, Tao
Paper Book
Two kids plant mysterious seeds (all that's pictured on the envelope is a blue top hat), and up grows a remarkable flowering vine, out of which emerges an even more remarkable big white bear. On his head is the top hat'a hat that allows him to work all kinds of magic that day. He pulls monkey after...
Wallpaper
Lam, Thao
Paper Book
New from the creator of Skunk on a Stringcomes Wallpaper, a wordless picture book in Thao Lam's signature paper collage style. It tells the story of a young girl whose family moves into a new house. Outside, she can hear other kids playing, but she's too shy to say hello. So she picks...
Return
Becker, Aaron
Paper Book
A #1 New York Times bestseller! A Wall Street Journal 20 Best Children's Books of the Past 20 Years Selection Welcome the much-anticipated finale of Caldecott Honoree Aaron Becker's wordless trilogy--a spectacular, emotionally satisfying story that brings its...
Sidewalk flowers
Lawson, JonArno
Paper Book
Winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Illustrated Book A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year In this wordless picture book, a little girl collects wildflowers while her distracted father pays her little attention. Each flower becomes...
Hunters of the great forest
Nolan, Dennis
Paper Book
On a warm night, a band of hunters sets out on a journey. As they travel over hills, through thickets of trees, and around mountains, nothing will keep them from their ultimate goal. What that goal is may surprise you. Dennis Nolan's remarkable, imaginative illustrations lead the way...
Out of the blue
Jay, Alison
Paper Book
"A book that eschews words for imagination-stimulating pictures: a storm-wrecked, seashore adventure between a girl and a boy" - The Guardian This evocative wordless book about the mysteries of the sea invites readers to tell the story in their own words, which stimulates...
Draw!
Colón, Raúl.
Paper Book
"A wordless picture book celebrates the power of art and imagination." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Young artists will love this book, as will all children who know the joy of exploring their own imaginations." --School Library Journal (starred...
Inside outside
Boyd, Lizi
Paper Book
What is happening outside today? Peek through the window to find out. What is happening inside? Peek again! Whimsical die-cuts throughout lead to charming and surprising reveals with every turn of the page. Filled with fun details (can you find the two mice playing throughout?), this deceptively...
Journey
Becker, Aaron
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! A Wall Street Journal 20 Best Children's Books of the Past 20 Years Selection A 2014 Caldecott Honor Book Follow a girl on an elaborate flight of fancy in a wondrously illustrated, wordless picture book about self-determination -...
Quest
Becker, Aaron
Paper Book
A Wall Street Journal 20 Best Children's Books of the Past 20 Years Selection Aaron Becker, creator of Journey, a Caldecott Honor book, presents the next chapter in his stunning wordless fantasy. A king emerges from a hidden door in a city park,...
Bluebird
Staake, Bob
Paper Book
"Like nothing you have seen before," raves Kirkus Reviews in a starred review. In his most beautiful and moving work to date, Bob Staake explores the universal themes of loneliness, bullying, and the importance of friendship. In this emotional picture book, readers will be...
The secret box
Lehman, Barbara.
Paper Book
Times change. Cities may grow large. Summers may come and go. And people might grow old, but the one thing that always remains the same is the desire for adventure. Barbara Lehman takes readers on a timeless trip to a world of secret messages...
Where's Walrus?
Savage, Stephen
Paper Book
A happy-go-lucky Walrus escapes the zoo in search of adventure in this wordless instant classic.Bored with life at the zoo, an adventurous walrus escapes to the outside world. With the zookeeper in hot pursuit, Walrus cleverly tries on all sorts of hats to disguise himself. Will a yellow hardhat...
Cool cat
Hogrogian, Nonny.
Paper Book
Cool Cat's neighborhood isn't so cool. It's barren and brown, littered with rusty cans and broken bottles. No problem. With an old paint box, a troop of helpful animals, and lots of imagination, Cool Cat turns the world around him into a Rousseau-style masterpiece. An enchanting story of...
South
McDonnell, Patrick
Paper Book
When a little bird awakens to find that all of his friends and family have gone south for the winter, it takes a surprising friendship with Mooch the cat to help him find his way. This is a wordless and profoundly moving story--by the creator of the beloved comic strip Mutts--that explores...
Jack wants a snack
Schories, Pat
Paper Book
Have you ever known a dog that didn't want a snack? What do you do when you are not invited to a tea party? Or when you are invited but you're offered only one piece of popcorn? Or when a pesky chipmunk crashes the party? When Jack sees the tea party, he decides to join. He wants a snack. Just...
Flotsam
Wiesner, David
Paper Book
In this extraordinary Caldecott Medal winner and New York Times bestseller by David Wiesner, a beach day is the springboard to a wildly imaginative exploration of fantastical mysteries of the deep--and of human connections through time. A young boy comes to the beach eager to...
Sector 7
Wiesner, David.
Paper Book
The Caldecott Honor-winning adventure of a young boy and a mischievous cloud in a funny, touching story about art, friendship, and the weather by three-time Caldecott Medalist David Wiesner. Only the person who gave us Tuesday could have devised this fantastic Caldecott...
Rosie's walk
Hutchins, Pat
Paper Book
Rosie the hen leaves the chicken coop and sets out for a little walk. Right behind her is the fox, slyly trying to catch up with her. Rosie's walk is quiet, uneventful and eventually leads her back to the coop, blissfully unaware of the fox's travails as he tries -- unsuccessfully -- to navigate the...
The snowman
Briggs, Raymond.
Paper Book
Raymond Briggs’s timeless winter story is now available as a Nifty-Lift-and-Look flap book, with over 35 flaps inside!
Brave Molly
Boynton-Hughes, Brooke
Paper Book
What do you do when no one can see your monsters but you? At first, Molly runs from them. But they follow her down the sidewalk, getting in the way when she tries to make a new friend, popping up unexpectedly out of shadows, and multiplying. Until finally...Molly faces her fears. Author-illustrator...
Flora and the peacocks
Idle, Molly Schaar
Paper Book
The darling, dancing Flora is back, and this time she's found two new friends: a pair of peacocks! But amidst the fanning feathers and mirrored movements, Flora realises that the push-and-pull between three friends can be a delicate dance. Will this trio find a way to get back in step? ...
The whisper
Zagarenski, Pamela
Paper Book
Step inside the pages of a little girl's magical book as she discovers the profound and inspiring notion that we each bring something different to the same story. Two-time Caldecott Honor artist Pamela Zagarenski debuts as an author in this tender picture book about the joy of reading.
Flora and the penguin
Idle, Molly Schaar
Paper Book
In this frosty follow-up to Flora and the Flamingo, Flora forms an unexpected friendship with a penguin as they dance above and below the ice. Twirling, leaping, spinning and gliding, on skates and flippers, the duo mirror each other's graceful ice dance. But when Flora gives the penguin the...
Flora and the flamingo
Idle, Molly Schaar.
Paper Book
In this magical Caldecott Honor-winning picture book, Flora and her graceful flamingo friend wordlessly explore the trials and joys of friendship through an elaborate synchronized dance. Every little ballerina dreams of her turn as a dancing diva....
The boy and the airplane
Pett, Mark.
Paper Book
Kindness needs no words in this soaring tale that is ideal for gift-giving. When a little boy's prized toy airplane lands on a rooftop, he makes several rescue attempts before devising an unexpected solution. Rendered in sepia tones and exemplifying a touching...
Daisy gets lost
Raschka, Christopher.
Paper Book
"A must for Daisy fans everywhere," declares School Library Journal in a starred review. With the same emotional intensity that he brought to his New York Times bestselling, New York Times Best Illustrated, and Caldecott Medal-winning picture book ...
The red scarf
Villeneuve, Anne.
Paper Book
Amazing stories can be told with almost no words, as Anne Villeneuve demonstrates in The Red Scarf, originally published in French as L'echarpe rouge. One day, a taxi driver finds a red scarf left behind in his cab by a customer. Determined to find the scarf's owner, the...
When Jack goes out
Schories, Pat.
Paper Book
When the "Night Visitors" return, they want to take Jack home with them. Will they succeed? The Night Visitors are back. The family doesn't know they've come. But their dog, Jack, does. Once they land, the space creatures unhook Jack's leash. They have a grand time playing with Jack and when it...
The red book
Lehman, Barbara.
Paper Book
This Caldecott Honor-winning book about a book is a delightful, wordless tale about the power of stories, perfect for fans of Brendan Wenzel and David Weisner. A red book is lying in the snow in the city. When you open it, you find a new kind of adventure. You will be...
Spot, the cat
Cole, Henry
Paper Book
Simple and stunning images tell the story of a cat named Spot as he weaves his way in and out of a city in this wordless picture book from award-winning author-illustrator Henry Cole. Through this gorgeous visual narrative, Henry Cole shows us a day in the life of a cat named...

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