Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Wordless Books


Anyone who knows me knows that I am a firm believer in wordless books. I like them because they allow a child to “read” the book; a child who may not be able to read at all. It helps children “tell” a story using the narrative skills, an early literacy skill. The child uses the picture clues to tell the story they want. The story can change every time it is told, the vocabulary can increase by who tells the story, and the book has a timeless appeal that evolves with deepening comprehension of life situations. Lastly, for the child working on writing skills, it helps to have the pictures as a prompt for an essay.

Suzy Lee has taken three simple elements to create a visual tour de force with Wave. We have a sunny day, a curious little girl, and a playful wave. The book is black and white (and shades of gray) with blue. The color blue is, of course, the wave, the water, and the action. There is one other piece of action and that is the “gutter” of the book. Oh, to have a child on my lap talking about this book! Check it out. If you spend any time at the seashore, you must purchase it! ~Joyce Laiosa

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