December 2022

The Flower Man

by Mark Ludy

This week I want to introduce a whole new category of picture books to you -- wordless picture books.

Wordless picture books have no words but have rich stories that are waiting for the reader to explore and construct meaning using their own perspective.

For parents: you can "read" the pictures with your child and watch for your child to "experience" the story. Ask them what they see and what they think is happening in the story.

"What is the man doing?"

"What do you see from each of the windows?"

"What is happening to the town?"

For teachers: wordless picture books are wonderful opportunities for English learners to comprehend the story without the restrictions of a language they have not yet mastered. Through your skillful guidance, students can construct their own stories using words they know, and learn new words along the way.

More wordless picture books:

The Little Green Jacket

Chalk

Flashlight

Flotsam

Beanie knows how hard it is to live thousands of miles away from her loved ones. Then she realizes that the moon she sees at night is the same moon that her Nonni sees from far away, and through the moon, they can send messages to each other.

This touching story may bring some comfort to children who are missing their loved ones, especially around the holiday season.

Read Aloud video

Author Interview