The Development of Wordless Picture Books

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20th Century Children`s Literature
In this paper, I argue that children’s books were now being considered for more than their educational uses and could also entertain and express the simple pleasures and innocence of childhood. During the early 1900s we began to consider other important functions for a children’s book— functions that might encourage more symbolic approaches and abstract thinking. Perry Nodelman cites: The early use of pictures for their informational value obviously relates to the longstanding conviction that books for children should have primarily educational purpose; that Caldecott and others filled the void created by popular ideas . . . there is a fairly obvious connect between the pure sensual pleasure offered by brightly colored pictures and the tolerance for and delight in the innocent joys of childhood that developed in Europe and America in the early 19th century (Nodelman 3). To consider the personal development of children through narrative was instrumental to the development of the wordless picture book. This approach to education and literacy led to new concerns about the child reader’s perceptions. These first books were created to “interact” with children. Their interpretations and participation were considered an important aspect of the picture book, leading to a deeper concern for the implied viewer of the picture book.
With the growth of the wordless picture book market, it is important to consider the benefits these books can provide. Wordless picture books are not only important tools in the classroom but they also aid in other areas of children’s development as well. According to Nodleman, “…viewed with an attitude of respect for the communicative powers of visual codes of signification, wordless books can be as powerful a source of education in the attentiveness basic to literacy as are books with words.” (Nodelman 191). Since children use picture books to learn, we will explore some of the specific educational aspects of wordless picture books.
First, wordless picture books introduce the physical qualities of a book— the way in which the cover introduces the story and the pages follow sequentially. Jalongo, Dragich, Conrad, and Zhang write, “Before children can explore books for themselves, they need to learn how a book works”(3). Children examine the mechanics of a book as an object: they experience how pages that turn right to left (in Western cultures). When a child is exposed to the narrative structure with a sequence of visual images they are being introduced to basic story structure with a beginning, middle, and end.
Another very important skill introduced through the wordless picture book is the ability to infer. Children learn to interpret images they see in wordless picture books. The wordless book encourages visual literacy and supports the child’s ability to draw conclusions as to what is going on in the picture. Wordless books also encourage verbal expression— the ability to speak the story aloud. This skill not only aids in reading text but it also aids in building the foundation for free thinking and curiosity.
Because these st...