Quick picks: our top recommendations
| Book | Author | Find It |
|---|---|---|
| Mirror | Check on Amazon → | |
| Belonging | Check on Amazon → | |
| Window | Check on Amazon → | |
| The Secret Box | Check on Amazon → | |
| Museum Trip | Check on Amazon → | |
| Trainstop | Check on Amazon → |
Below are 33 titles in total — we’ve highlighted our 6 favourites above. Each one links straight through to Amazon AU.
Wordless picture books are amongst the most powerful books you will come across. They are entrenched with richness, layers and symbolism. They give a powerful licence to the reader to interpret the illustrations and become the storyteller.
To read more about how fantastic we think wordless picture books are, or to see our list of ’12 Ways to Enjoy a Wordless Picture Book‘, read our article ‘Read, Look, Explore‘ in tiny and little Issue 2.
In the meantime, browse this list of wonderful titles created by some masters of wordless picture Books (ie. Jeannie Baker and Barbara Lehman). You’ll also want to keep an eye out for newcomer, Suzy Lee, who has produced two of my favourite wordless picture books.
Mirror
Buy online from The Book Depository or The Nile
Jeannie Baker
ISBN:978-1406309140
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd, November 2010
This is one special book that every family should have on their bookcase, not only because of its universal storyline but because this book has been constructed like no other. It almost re-invents the way we read books. Mirror allows you to explore the images and the journeys of two families simultaneously, one from Australia and the other from Morocco. Read our review in tiny- Issue 2.
Belonging
Buy online from The Book Depository or The Nile
Jeannie Baker
ISBN:978-1406305487
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd, May 2007
As in the author’s previous picture book, Window, this book is observed through the window of a house in a typical urban neighbourhood, each picture showing a year’s development. This is a Window in reverse, with the land being reclaimed from built-up concrete to a gradual greening.
Window
Buy online from The Book Depository or The Nile
Jeannie Baker
ISBN:978-0744594867
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd, November 2002
Window is a wordless picture book that speaks volumes. It begins with a mother and baby looking through a window at a view of wilderness and sky as far as the eye can see. With each page, the boy grows and the scene changes, from a forest to a single house, to a village and then to a city.
The Secret Box
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Barbara Lehman
ISBN:978-0547238685
Find The Secret Box on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, March 2011
Barbara Lehman takes readers on a timeless trip to a world of secret messages left in secret boxes hidden in secret places.
Museum Trip
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Barbara Lehman
ISBN:978-0618581252
Find Museum Trip on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, May 2006
While on a visit to the museum with his class, a boy is left behind when he stops to tie his shoelace. As he tries to find his classmates, he discovers and enters a secret door in the museum which leads him to a display of mazes. We are onlookers of this boy’s journey through the mazes, but is this journey real or imagined? Read more in our book spotlight.
Trainstop
Buy online from The Book Depository
Barbara Lehman
ISBN:978-0618756407
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt , April 2008
A ride on the train is exciting. There’s always something new to see, even if you’ve been there before. But some train rides are better than others
The Red Book
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Barbara Lehman
ISBN:978-0618428588
Find The Red Book on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, September 2004
This is one clever and thought-provoking book from Barbara Lehman. It is a book within a book within a book and it is rich with layers. Want to read more? Read our book spotlight.
Mirror
Buy online from The Book Depository
Suzy Lee
ISBN:978-1934734391
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Seven Footer Press, April 2010
Suzy Lee masterfully creates a world where a little girl explores and dances—at first cautiously, later exuberantly—with her reflection in the mirror. When discord between the girl and her reflection surfaces, Lee’s unforgettable story provides a gentle reminder that our actions have consequences.
Wave
Buy online from The Book Depository or The Nile.
Suzy Lee
ISBN:978-0811859240
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Chronicle Books, March 2008
This is a simplistic but highly emotive story, about a little girl’s visit to the beach (with seagulls as her comrades) as she enjoys a battle with the waves. We love Wave and we think you will too. Read more in our book spotlight.
The Other Side
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Istvan Banyai
ISBN:978-0811846080
Find The Other Side on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Chronicle Books, July 2005
In graphically stunning illustrations that feature many clever twists in point of view, familiar scenes turn and turn again to show us the back, the front, the top, the bottom, the opposite, the other side of each perspective. Here’s a door. What’s on the other side? Here’s a shoreline. What’s on the other side? Here’s a curtain. What’s on the other side? The answers may surprise you. Delightful, sly, funny, and challenging, The Other Side will make readers want to look, and think, twice.
Re-Zoom
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Istvan Banyai
ISBN:978-0140556940
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Puffin/Penguin, November 1998
Open this wordless book and take off on a mindbending visual journey full of twists, turns, and surprises. Zoom from an Egyptian pyramid to an exotic jungle to a sandy beach. But if you think you know where you are, guess again.
Zoom
Buy online from The Book Depository
Istvan Banyai
ISBN:978-0140557749
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Puffin (Penguin), July 1998
Open this wordless book and zoom from a farm to a ship to a city street to a desert island. But if you think you know where you are, guess again. For nothing is ever as it seems in Istvan Banyai’s sleek, mysterious landscapes of pictures within pictures, which will tease and delight readers of all ages.
Flotsam
Buy online from The Book Depository
David Wiesner
ISBN:978-0618194575
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Clarion Books (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), September 2006
A bright, science-minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam–anything floating that has been washed ashore. Bottles, lost toys, small objects of every description are among his usual finds. But there’s no way he could have prepared for one particular discovery: a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera, with its own secrets to share . . . and to keep.
Tuesday
Buy online from The Book Depository
David Wiesner
ISBN:978-0395870822
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Sandpiper (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), August 1997
The whimsical account of a Tuesday when frogs were airborne on their lily pads will continue to enchant readers of all ages.
Plane, Train, Truck and Trolley
Buy online from The Book Grocer
Peter Sheehan
ISBN:978-0143502005
Find Plane, Train, Truck and Trolley on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Puffin
This is a clever concept book covering colours, prepositions and scale. However, this book allows young children to think more deeply about these concepts, rather than simply recall them. Read our review here.
More
Buy online from The Book Depository or The Nile
Peter Schossow
ISBN:978-1877467554
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Gecko Press, October 2010
A man is taken on thrilling journey by a gust of wind. Nervous at first, he becomes so exhilarated he wants to do it all again. Want to know more about this book? Read our book spotlight.
Leaf
Buy online from The Nile
Stephen Michael King
ISBN:978-1741696776
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Scholastic Australia, April 2010
Leaf is a nearly wordless book, where the illustrations are supported by sound effects. Leaf demonstrates that the growth of a plant is also an analogy for the growth of ideas. Both grow with imagination, care, love and enthusiasm. Want to know more about this gorgeous book?- Read our book spotlight.
Chalk
Buy online from The Book Depository
Bill Thomson
ISBN:978-0761455264
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish, March 2010
A rainy day. Three kids in a park. A dinosaur spring rider. A bag of chalk. The kids begin to draw. . . and then . . . magic! The children draw the sun, butterflies, and a dinosaur that amazingly come to life. Children will never feel the same about the playground after they experience this astounding wordless picture book and the power of the imagination. Bill Thomson embraced traditional painting techniques and meticulously painted each illustration by hand, using acrylic paint and colored pencils.
A Long Piece of String
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William Wondriska
ISBN:978-0811874939
Find A Long Piece of String on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2010
A piece of string weaves itself through objects that represent each of the letters of the alphabet. Read more about A Long Piece of String here.
The Chicken Thief
Buy online from The Nile.
Beatrice Rodriguez
ISBN:978-1877467318
Find The Chicken Thief on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Gecko Press, November 2009
This is a story about a chase through the forest, over mountains and across the ocean, but it is also a story about situations not always being what they may first seem. Three animals set out to rescue their chicken friend who has been stolen by a fox. The chase leads to an unexpected ending. Read more about The Chicken Thief in our book spotlight.
Welcome to the Zoo
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Alison Jay
ISBN:978-1840119732
Find Welcome to the Zoo on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Templar Publishing( Hardie Grant), September 2009
Alison Jay has created her own zoo, in which the animals outwit the zoo keepers! Brimming with small stories and enchanting details to spot throughout, this wordless board book invites curious eyes to explore Alison Jay’s beautiful and humorous illustrations.
South
Buy online from The Book Depository
Patrick McDonnell
ISBN:978-0316005098
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Little Hare, Brown Books for Young Readers (Hachette), September 2008
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. In this wordless story that appeals to all ages, the quiet language of sharing and comfort is all that is needed for these two species to communicate. Painted in a warm, elegant brushwork style inspired by Japanese art, South is a simple yet profoundly moving journey about being lost and found, crossing boundaries, saying goodbye and broadening horizons.
Sidewalk Circus
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Paul Fleischman and Kevin Hawkes
ISBN:978-0763627959
Find Sidewalk Circus on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Candlewick Press, May 2007
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Step right up and witness an astounding assemblage of tightrope walkers, strong men, sword swallowers, and clowns. The Garibaldi Circus is coming soon, but for those with clear eyes, the performers may already be in the ring. So get ready to sharpen your vision and look very closely — a show like you’ve never seen is about to begin!
The Arrival
Buy online from The Nile
Shaun Tan
ISBN:978-0734406941
Find The Arrival on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Lothian Books/Hachette Books, October 2006
The Arrival tells the story of an immigrant leaving his homeland and embarking on a future in a new land. His experience is overwhelming as he adjusts to a new language, new living conditions, new customs, new food, new creatures and new friends. Wordless picture books give power and creativity to the reader, but there is another purpose to the absence of words in The Arrival. As a reader of The Arrival, we walk in the shoes of an immigrant. We must interpret the images and the strange symbols Tan uses; just as an immigrant in a new land must find a way to understand and communicate with his new neighbours. This is a book for adults too. Read more in our book spotlight.
Yellow Umbrella- with CD
Buy online from Collins Booksellers
Jae Soo Liu
ISBN:978-1929132362
Find Yellow Umbrella- with CD on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Kane/Miller, July 2006
The perfect book for a rainy day (obviously) but also for an art lesson, a lazy afternoon, or a quiet classroom, Yellow Umbrella tells the wordless story of one umbrella’s morning journey. Accompanied by a CD of original and evocative piano music.
A Circle of Friends
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Giora Carmi
ISBN:978-1595720603
Find A Circle of Friends on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Star Bright Books, May 2006
A boy begins a cycle of goodwill when he anonymously shares his snack with a homeless man. Without a single written word, this book effectively teaches about helping, sharing, and caring.
The Flower Man
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Mark Ludy
ISBN:978-0966427684
Find The Flower Man on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Green Pastures Publishing, Incorporated, September 2005
Every window tells a story in this wordless picture book, in fact, there are over 60 stories to be discovered. What happens when a colourless town is visited by the Flower Man? Nothing will be the same. He buys an old shack, fixes it up, plants a garden and gives away a single little flower. Before you know it, every life is impacted and transformed, all by the actions of one.
A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog
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Mercer Mayer
ISBN:978-0803728806
Find A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Dial Books (Penguin), June 2003
A boy and his dog go walking in the swamp. They spot a frog in the water. Can they use a net to catch him? A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog, the first book in this series, launched Mercer Mayer’s distinguished career over twenty-five years ago and also helped to create the wordless picture book genre. Full of warm-hearted mischief and play, the books express the humorous trials and tribulations of friendship and the joy of summertime discovery.
Other books in the series include: A Boy, a Dog, A Frog and a Friend; One Frog Too Many, Frog on His Own, Frog Goes To Dinner, Frog, where are you?
1, 2, 3, to the Zoo
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Eric Carle
ISBN:978-0140509267
Find 1, 2, 3, to the Zoo on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Puffin Books (Penguin), 28 June 1990
Brightly coloured animals, riding on a train to their new homes in the zoo, offer young children a delightful introduction to numbers and counting.
The Silver Pony: A Story in Pictures
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Lynd Ward
ISBN:978-0395643778
Find The Silver Pony: A Story in Pictures on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Sandpiper (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), October 1992
Told only in pictures, this is the story of a lonely farm boy who confuses his dreams of adventure on a winged pony with reality.
Have You Seen My Duckling?
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Nancy Tafuri
ISBN:978-0688109943
Find The Silver Pony: A Story in Pictures on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (Harper Collins), August 1991
An anxious mother duck leads her brood around the pond as she searches for one missing duckling.
Changes, Changes
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Pat Hutchins
ISBN:978-0689711374
Find Changes, Changes on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Simon and Schuster, April 1987
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 to build a boat
Pancakes for Breakfast
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Tomie dePaola
ISBN:978-0152594558
Find Pancakes for Breakfast on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Sandpiper (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), April 1978
This wordless picture book follows the trials of a little old lady who attempts to make pancakes for her breakfast.
How to read a wordless book (it’s a real skill)
Mia teaches Year 1, and wordless picture books are her not-so-secret weapon. Kids who can’t yet decode print can absolutely tell sophisticated stories from pictures — and the wordless format gives them permission to do exactly that. A few things she does:
- Hand the book to the child first. Don’t pre-read it together. Let them have a private first encounter and tell you what they think the story is. You’d be amazed.
- Ask three questions, no more. “What’s happening here?” “Why is she doing that?” “What do you think happens next?” That’s the whole curriculum. Resist the urge to over-question.
- Read the same book five days in a row. The story will get longer and weirder each time. By Friday the child has rehearsed narrative structure five times without ever seeing a word.
- Have them retell it without the book. A child who can retell a wordless story from memory is doing the same cognitive work as a child reading a chapter book aloud. Don’t under-estimate the wordless picture book as an emergent-literacy tool.
- Use them across the language barrier. Wordless picture books are gold for ESL kids, hearing-impaired kids, and kids whose grandparents speak another language. The story is the story regardless of who’s in the room.
Why wordless books are quietly essential
There’s a moment in early literacy — usually around age 4 or 5 — where children realise that the marks on the page carry meaning, but they can’t yet decode them. That gap is where a lot of confidence is lost. Wordless books bridge it. They let a pre-reader carry the full narrative weight without needing to crack the code first.
Mia put it this way: “The kids in my class who arrive having spent time with wordless books are the same kids who, six months later, take risks reading aloud. They already know what a story is meant to sound like.” That’s a long-term outcome dressed up as turning pages without words.
The other thing wordless books do, almost incidentally, is teach visual literacy — reading expression, panel-to-panel time, perspective, framing. In a world where most of our information comes through screens and images, that’s a useful muscle to build early.
Frequently asked questions
What age is the right age for a wordless book?
The simplest titles work from about 18 months. The complex narrative ones (Tuesday, Flotsam, Journey) reward older kids — we’ve had ten-year-olds spend twenty minutes on a single page. So really: 18 months to forever.
Aren’t these just “easy” books?
Almost the opposite. A good wordless picture book asks more of the reader, not less. The author is trusting you to do half the work.
Can I use these in a classroom?
Yes — Mia’s recommendation is to read the same wordless book three times in one week with a Year 1 or 2 group, varying the prompts. It builds vocabulary, narrative structure, and the confidence to talk about a text. Cheaper than most curriculum resources and substantially more fun.
Best wordless picture book to start with?
For toddlers: Good Dog, Carl. For pre-schoolers: Pancakes for Breakfast. For school-age: Tuesday by David Wiesner is the gateway drug for the whole genre — once they’ve had it, they’ll demand more.
Shop the full list on Amazon AU
Each link below opens an Amazon AU search for that title’s exact ISBN. We earn a small commission if you decide to buy — thank you, it keeps the lights on at the Bookcase.
- Mirror
- Belonging
- Window
- The Secret Box
- Museum Trip
- Trainstop
- The Red Book
- Mirror
- Wave
- The Other Side
- Re-Zoom
- Zoom
- Flotsam
- Tuesday
- Plane, Train, Truck and Trolley
- More
- Leaf
- Chalk
- A Long Piece of String
- The Chicken Thief
- Welcome to the Zoo
- South
- Sidewalk Circus
- The Arrival
- Yellow Umbrella- with CD
- A Circle of Friends
- The Flower Man
- A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog
- 1, 2, 3, to the Zoo
- The Silver Pony: A Story in Pictures
- The Silver Pony: A Story in Pictures
- Changes, Changes
- Pancakes for Breakfast
📚 Looking for more book lists?
We’ve curated 28 picture-book lists across six themes — Family, Christmas & ANZAC, Australian identity, Learning to Read, Gifts & Milestones, and Themes & Activities. Hand-read by the team, age-graded, and ready to use.
