Wordless and Nearly Wordless Children's Books

a list by Leah Smith, librarian and avid reader

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and these wordless books prove that sentiment. Wordless books allow the reader to use their own imagination to create a story. These are supposed to be for children, but I think these titles touch the child that still exists in all of us.

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Pancakes_for_Breakfast');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0156707683'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">	onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Pancakes_for_Breakfast');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0156707683'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Pancakes_for_Breakfast');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Pancakes_for_Breakfast');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0156707683'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 32 page paperback \|$6.00 \|17 reviews onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Pancakes_for_Breakfast');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Pancakes_for_Breakfast');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0152594558'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 32 page hardcover \|$11.21 \|17 reviews


onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/The_Red_Book');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0618428585'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">	onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/The_Red_Book');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0618428585'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">The Red Book by Barbara Lehman onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/The_Red_Book');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/The_Red_Book');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0618428585'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 32 page hardcover \|$9.71 \|32 reviews


onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Sector_7');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0395746566'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">	onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Sector_7');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0395746566'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">Sector 7 illustrated by David Wiesner onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Sector_7');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Sector_7');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0395746566'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 48 page hardcover \|$10.88 \|32 reviews


onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Snowflake_Bentley');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0395861624'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">	onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Snowflake_Bentley');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0395861624'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by Mary Azarian onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Snowflake_Bentley');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Snowflake_Bentley');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0395861624'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 32 page hardcover \|$10.50 \|43 reviews This book also appears on Caldecott Medal Winners


onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Tuesday');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0395870828'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">	onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Tuesday');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0395870828'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">Tuesday written and illustrated by David Wiesner onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Tuesday');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Tuesday');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0395870828'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 32 page paperback \|$6.95 \|72 reviews onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Tuesday');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Tuesday');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0395551137'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 32 page hardcover \|$11.56 \|72 reviews This book also appears on Caldecott Medal Winners


onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/You_Cant_Take_a_Balloon_into_the_Metropolitan_Museum');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0140568166'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">	onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/You_Cant_Take_a_Balloon_into_the_Metropolitan_Museum');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0140568166'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">You Can't Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman, illustrated by Robin Glasser onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/You_Cant_Take_a_Balloon_into_the_Metropolitan_Museum');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/You_Cant_Take_a_Balloon_into_the_Metropolitan_Museum');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0140568166'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 40 page paperback \|$6.99 \|17 reviews onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/You_Cant_Take_a_Balloon_into_the_Metropolitan_Museum');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/You_Cant_Take_a_Balloon_into_the_Metropolitan_Museum');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0803723016'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 40 page hardcover \|$14.24 \|17 reviews


onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Wave');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/081185924X'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">	onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Wave');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/081185924X'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">Wave by Suzy Lee onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Wave');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Wordless_and_Nearly_Wordless_Childrens_Books_/Wave');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/081185924X'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 40 pages, used, starting at $12.79 \|5 reviews This book also appears on The New York Times' 10 Best Illustrated Children's Picture Books of 2008

Know any books we should add to the list above? .