20 Best Wordless Picture Books

The best wordless picture books are learning tools for children of all ages. You can appreciate the visual story, sequence, infer, imagine, predict, learn story structure (beginning, middle, end,) consider theme, learn vocabulary (English Language Learners, too!) or use to inspire writing.  Here are newly published wordless picture books you’ll want to know about.

I’ve found several amazing wordless picture books that have just been published recently you’re going to love.

Get clever reading and writing ideas for your wordless picture books here!

20 Wordless Picture Books

Little Fox in the Forest by Stephanie Graegin

I Got It! by David Wiesner
The ball is coming right to the boy, an outfielder. He yells the only words in this book, “I got it,” only he doesn’t yet… What happens next will stretch the reader’s imaginations. He and his crew go to great lengths to catch the ball. When he’s turned small, ball-sized, like a bird, will he finally catch the baseball?

Kunoichi Bunny by Sara Cassidy, illustrated by Brayden Sato
I love the art and the story in this charming and relatable wordless picture book. Follow along as a little girl, and her beloved stuffed animal bunny go on an adventure. Her Kunoichi Bunny gets dropped and found all over the city, including on the sidewalk, at the park, and on the bus. Then, finally, back at home, her dad washes the bunny.

Tuesday by David Wiesner
This is an unusual book perfect for making inferences. Because on this Tuesday, frogs fly on lily pads.

Skunk on a String by Thao Lam
Wordless, because we don’t need words in this detailed paper collaged story, we follow a skunk who has been tied to the tail of a balloon and drifts all over the city. How can he get down? When he finally unties himself, . . . he misses flying! So what do you think he does next?

Where’s Walrus? by Stephen Savage
Pay close attention to this wordless picture book. Walrus and Penguin escape from the zoo and wander the city. Can you find them? Together they have many fun adventures and walrus even find love! Excellent opportunities to pay close attention to the illustrations.

Inside Outside by Lizi Boyd
If you’ve never read a wordless picture book, you must read this one with its detailed illustrations on kraft paper and revealing die-cuts sharing glimpses of . . . well, that’s for you to infer.

Draw the Line by Kathryn Otoshi

Told entirely in pictures, two boys delight in the line. It becomes a fun game until it the boys get mad. They’ve broken the line and their friendship. One of the boys finds a way to reconnect them. Evocative, gorgeous artwork.

Owl Bat Bat Owl by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick

A family of owls is resting comfortably on a tree branch. Much to the mama owl’s dismay, they’re joined by a family of bats that mirrors the owls’ positions only upside down. It takes a wind storm and the mother’s love to bring these two nocturnal families together in friendship.

A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka
When a bigger dog accidentally ruins Daisy’s favorite ball, she feels such loss and sadness. Ultimately, we are reminded with a hopeful ending that sadness doesn’t last forever.

 
Flora and the Peacocks by Molly Idle
Flora is back for her most beautiful lift-the-flap, wordless green and blue dance experience ever! As she dances with two gorgeous male peacocks and a fan, the peacocks become territorial of the fan which makes Flora very sad. Luckily, the peacocks realize they need to change their behavior so it all ends up okay.

Aquarium by Cynthia Alonso

Quest by Aaron Becker
Don’t miss this enchanting and imaginative wordless picture book written that will transport you to a magical world. My kids and I poured over every beautiful detail and so will you. You’ll follow a boy and girl with a purple, magical bird on their quest to save the king and his kingdom. Awe-inspiring.

NOPE! A Tale of First Flight by Drew Sheneman
For any kid who has been afraid to try something, this book shows in hilarious and sweet illustrations (with almost no text) the bird’s fear of flying out of the nest. Finally, his mama gives him a swift kick out much to his joyful exuberance.

Flashlight by Lizi Boyd
A beautiful wordless picture book showing a young boy exploring the woods in the dark. His flashlight illuminates plants and animals. Until the animals get the flashlight and illuminate him. Enchanting.

Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie de Paola
An old woman decides to make pancakes for breakfast. She has all the ingredients for the batter except one. When she leaves to get the missing ingredient, her dog and cat make a mess of the pancake batter all over the house. What will she do now?

Hike by Pete Oswald
Take an adventure with a boy and his father out of the city and into the woods. Wordless, playful, emotion-filled, and deeply satisfying, see the beauty of nature from a log bridge and a waterfall to the pine forest where the father and son plant a new tree. Stunning and heartfelt.

Professional Crocodile by Giovanna Zoboli & Mariachiara di Giorgio

No Dogs Allowed! by Linda Ashman and Kristin Sorra
What a gorgeous book with a very clear sequence of events. The owner of a fancy bistro turns away a young customer with a dog, putting up a “NO Dogs Allowed” sign. More customers with animals of every kind — cat, kangaroos, elephant — are turned away, too. Thereore, the customers and their animals congregate at the plaza fountain and lemonade stand, prompting the owner to change his mind.

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
A magical snowman takes a little boy on a journey across the snowy countryside.

Finding Fire by Logan S. Kline
The caveboy takes a journey, evading dangerous wolves and rescuing a young woolly mammoth. They see a lightning strike, and they grab the fire on a big branch and bring it back to their home. Amazing artwork captures a brave, goofy-looking boy as well as the world in which he lives.

Wallpaper by Thao Lam
Wordless, this story is about a lonely girl who moves into a new home. In the old wallpaper, she journeys on a fantastical adventure. Then she goes back to the real world and feels confident about meeting the kids she sees outside her window.

Activities To Do With Wordless Picture Books

–> Child “reads” the story to you using the pictures to say what’s happening.

–> Write the story on sticky notes – talk about the sequence of events. Mix up and reorder.

–> Write words about the story on sticky notes. Make into a poem.

–> Write your own wordless picture book.

–> Talk about the pictures – use this to build vocabulary, model making connections, notice the illustrator’s techniques.

–> Imagine what sounds and dialogue would be happening in the storyl

–> Predict what will happen next.

–> Talk about plot elements, beginning, middle, and end.

–> Act out the story.

–> Older Kids: Look at the illustrations throughout the book. Notice the color choices. Does that have any significance? What emotion do you feel when you see all the illustrations? What connections to the story do you have? How do your connections help you infer the overall message of the story? What, in your opinion, is that message (or theme)?

MORE READING & WRITING ACTIVITIES FOR WORDLESS BOOKS

More Books 

The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
The Red Book by Barbara Lehman
Tuesday by David Wiesner
Zoom by Istvan Banyai
A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog by Mercer Mayer
Owly & Wormy, Friends All Aflutter by Andy Runton
Flotsam by David Wiesner
The Snowmane by Raymond Briggs
Wave by Suzy Lee
Shadow by Suzy Lee
Truck by Donald Crews
Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola
No! by David McPhail
Hug by Jez Alborough
Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day
All in a Day by Mitsumasa Anno
Chalk by Bill Thomson
Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee