tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post634344291364024885..comments2024-03-29T07:12:24.516+00:00Comments on Picture Book Den: What's The Magic of Wordless Picture Books? by Pippa GoodhartUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-78429258711680995762013-10-24T13:55:21.765+01:002013-10-24T13:55:21.765+01:00Agreed, wordless picture books are fab! I love you...Agreed, wordless picture books are fab! I love yours, Pippa - and like Moira, I'm a great fan of Flotsam by David Wiesner. I imagine they're very, very difficult to pitch to a publisher when you're not an illustrator.Jane Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361379190770989657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-45536844920892922692013-10-19T19:00:28.816+01:002013-10-19T19:00:28.816+01:00Hi Pippa, Like you, an ambition of mine is to have...Hi Pippa, Like you, an ambition of mine is to have a wordless picture book of mine published. My favourite story of mine that I've written (not picked up by a publisher yet) is 25 words long, but actually, it doesn't need any of those words. They're pretty much there so it's less scary to an editor. I think it's so so hard to get an editor interested if you're a writer but not an illustrator. But I'll keep trying. Great to see a few suggestions up that I've not seen as I'll get hold of them (I don't know Home or Fox and Hen Together). I've also got The Conductor, Mitsumasa Anno, and I LOVE The Red Book and all the books by Ali Mitgutsch (although in his, each spread is an amazing picture with loads going on). And as you say, they're fantastic for encouraging conversation between parent and child and developing language. Thanks! Clare. Juliet Clare Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06020801246132751659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-10342660201907946402013-10-16T20:20:53.105+01:002013-10-16T20:20:53.105+01:00I don't know that flying frogs one - I must go...I don't know that flying frogs one - I must go and find it at once! Thank you, Paeony.Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-27183803272425774352013-10-16T17:48:11.811+01:002013-10-16T17:48:11.811+01:00I share your enthusiasm, Pippa. Looking through th...I share your enthusiasm, Pippa. Looking through the wordless pictures books in our house, they're sophisticated and aimed at 5 years - 105 years. 'Tuesday' by David Wiesner is practically wordless and makes me smile (surreal flying frogs!). 'Zoom' by Istvan Banyai is clever and invites the reader (viewer?) to look closer and he has done other in the 'series'. 'Mirror' by Jeannie Baker explains what the book is about, but the two 'stories' are wordless. And I have 'Window' by Jeannie Baker, which I assume is similar to 'Home'? But all are illustrated and written by the same person. I wonder what the illustrator would think if given a wordless book ('written' by an author) to illustrate? Paeony Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13129555451791248798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-67923454037883518032013-10-15T18:03:04.821+01:002013-10-15T18:03:04.821+01:00You do say the nicest things, Ragnhild! Now I sha...You do say the nicest things, Ragnhild! Now I shall REALLY have to have a go at one! Many thanks.Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-5122018761146736402013-10-15T15:10:02.709+01:002013-10-15T15:10:02.709+01:00I think your own books are pretty perfect and almo...I think your own books are pretty perfect and almost wordless, Pippa. Writing a wordless picture book is very difficult, if you're not illustrating it yourself. The first hurdle is convincing the publisher that it is worthwhile and even possible. I'm sure your next book will be wordless, because you've got what it takes. Ragnhild Scamellhttp://www.ragnhildscamell.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-37049661210037751012013-10-14T18:02:54.251+01:002013-10-14T18:02:54.251+01:00I've just counted up my shortest picture book ...I've just counted up my shortest picture book text (Pudding), and it's 55 words long. But brilliant Martin Waddell's Great Green Mouse Disaster has only one word ("Meeeow!"), even though it gets repeated. And I'd still like to achieve non at all. Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-67913450951261999542013-10-14T17:15:44.125+01:002013-10-14T17:15:44.125+01:00Shaun Tan's books are amazing, and wonderfully...Shaun Tan's books are amazing, and wonderfully thought-provoking. I must look out Beatrice Rodriguez. I'd love to write a wordless picture book. The least I've managed is 60 words (The Happy Book). Oh, and thanks for the mention of Dancing Tiger, Pippa.malachy doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14428551785118345251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-70294948322539735152013-10-13T21:52:08.103+01:002013-10-13T21:52:08.103+01:00I bet your Egg book works beautifully as a startin...I bet your Egg book works beautifully as a starting point for discussion, Moira. You are spot on in saying that it's the sharing of imaginations as two or more people make what they will of a sequence of pictures. It's a creative process, and perhaps works even better when the process is shared.Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-87013893313388284952013-10-13T21:48:48.103+01:002013-10-13T21:48:48.103+01:00Ah, yes, Jan Ormerod's Moonlight and Sunlight ...Ah, yes, Jan Ormerod's Moonlight and Sunlight and 101 Things To Do With A Baby are all wonderful examples of really comforting and kindly humorous wordless books that simply visually chart ordinary life. So wordless books aren't all challenging, after all!Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-77167893491831990342013-10-13T20:43:43.641+01:002013-10-13T20:43:43.641+01:00What a great selection, Pippa. My son loved Flotsa...What a great selection, Pippa. My son loved Flotsam by David Wiesner, and so did I. You're right. it was lovely to read together even though there were no words. It was soothing and there was a strong sense of sharing our imaginations as we looked together at the story unfolding. Last year I did 'write' a first 'reader with no words, for Collins. I had to pick photos to go with the title 'What's in the Egg', and try to build in an unspoken narrative, and lots of different types of egg. It may have had no words, but it took a lot of thinking about, I can tell you! Moira Butterfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17355420549929911500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-90324898272506244382013-10-13T17:05:39.924+01:002013-10-13T17:05:39.924+01:00I love wordless books too, Pippa. We have Jan Orme...I love wordless books too, Pippa. We have Jan Ormerod's wonderful 'Moonlight' on our shelves and, like you, I also think 'The Arrival' is sheer genius. Lovely post :)Abie Longstaffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14682225221860351795noreply@blogger.com