CAN YOU WRITE A PICTURE BOOK WITHOUT WORDS? by Clare Helen Welsh

 

Back in June, I wrote a blog post that asked if it was possible to READ a book without words. Now, here’s the sequel you’ve all been waiting for! Can you WRITE a picture book without words? Absolutely! You can! Can a story be told entirely through images? Can a picture book exist without words? Even if you’re the author only and not an illustrator? YES! Wordless picture books offer a unique and powerful way to tell stories. But for aspiring picture book writers, the prospect of creating a wordless story may seem daunting. In June 2024, my (almost!) wordless picture book, Moon Bear, published with Frances Lincoln. It’s about a girl called Ettie who is afraid of the dark. She meets a magical moon bear who is afraid of the light. I was not the illustrator on the project. I was the author only - my co-collaborator was the awesome Carolina T. Godina. Creating this book was an exciting and creative challenge, and because of that, I'd like to suggest to other writers that it's worth exploring. What I learned when writing a wordless picture book, is that all the usual picture book ingredients are needed – a strong hook, an interesting concept, compelling characters and a satisfying plot.  In this post, I’ll explore how to approach writing a wordless picture book as a writer only and offer some key tips to guide you in the process. Tips for Creating a Wordless Picture Book: 1. Plan the narrative arc A wordless picture book still needs a clear narrative structure. There needs to be just enough threads that the reader can interpret and co-create the story, and re-create it on subsequent reads, without there being so much going on that it’s impossible to pin down and follow one controlling idea.  To create a clear beginning, middle, try writing a mini synopsis, then write or sketch a storyboard of  key scenes like a film director would.  Here’s the short synopsis I wrote for Moon Bear. 2. Let the illustrations convey emotion In a wordless book, emotions need to be conveyed through facial expressions, body language, and colour. You'll need to dramatise the storytelling - show it, not tell it. Consider how you will emphasise the emotional highs and lows of the story in pictures alone. For example, maybe you’ll use darker tones and close-up compositions for scenes of sadness or fear, in contrast to bright and open happier and energetic moments. It might help to imagine an illustrator you'd love to work with. I imagined Briony May Smith when working on Moon Bear.  3. Create tension and resolve conflict Every good story needs conflict and resolution. Whether your story is about a lost animal, an exciting adventure or self-discovery, there should be a sense of tension that propels the story forward. The challenge in a wordless book is making sure that this tension is visible. Of course, much of this will become evident when an illustrator comes on board, but consider what you can do to strengthen tension and resolution in your written submission. When you present your wordless picture book, it will look like a collection of detailed illustration notes. Can you see how I helped my agent and editor visualise tension through the character's action? 4. Use repetition and pattern Repetition can be a powerful tool in a wordless picture book. By repeating certain visual elements, you can create rhythm and shape that helps the reader feel grounded in the story. It also encourages them to anticipate what comes next, adding depth and engagement to the reading experience. For example, in Moon Bear, Ettie’s bedtime scenes are repeated at the start and at the end. The first time she is afraid – she doesn’t want Mummy to leave. The second time, when she is no longer scared of the dark, she pushes Mummy out the door!   5. Play with page turns In a wordless picture book, the moment when the reader turns the page can be used to create suspense or surprise. Consider how you can use page turns to heighten, reveal, surprise or engage the reader at important moments. Here's a page near the end of Moon Bear that I think keeps the reader engaged and encourages them to predict what will happen next.  6. Use visual details to deepen the story Wordless picture books allow for rich layers of detail. Include scope for visual details that hint at backstory, character development, or future events. For example, have you spotted the cat in the opening spread of Moon Bear? And the clock that shows Ettie’s bedtime? It shows 7pm when Ettie is stalling, and 3:30pm when she is excited to meet Moon Bear again. These details invite readers to engage more deeply with the book and make new discoveries with each reading. 7. Share your story with critique partners One of the best ways to ensure that your wordless story works is to share it with critique partners. See if they are able to follow the plot. Do they understand the themes? Is anything unclear? Their feedback will be invaluable in refining your narrative. Wordless picture books are a challenge, a joy and a wonder. They can help children feel happy and confident to read at their own pace, making them an active participant in the storytelling.  Why not challenge yourself to write one? It’s a great lesson in showing, not telling. You’ll learn about pacing and what’s realistic in terms of page layouts and illustrations and the art of a telling a focused and satisfying tale. You can always try a version with words at a later date, and it might make for an interesting starting point.  There’s no right or wrong way to read a wordless story, and no right or wrong way to write one either. But hopefully the tips above will help.  Can you write a wordless picture book? Absolutely! You can! Clare Helen Welsh is a children's writer from Devon. She writes fiction and non-fiction picture book texts - sometimes funny, sometimes lyrical and everything in between! Her latest picture book is called 'Moon Bear,' illustrated by Carolina T. Godina and published by Frances Lincoln. You can find out more about her at her website www.clarehelenwelsh.com or on Twitter @ClareHelenWelsh . Clare is represented by Alice Williams at Alice Williams Literary and is the founder of #BooksThatHelp.

CAN YOU READ A BOOK WITHOUT WORDS? by Clare Helen Welsh

Since you’ve found yourself here, at Picture Book Den, I suspect you'll agree with me that picture books are incredible. The best ones, even magical.

Listening to the rhythm, joining in with the words, trying out voices, pointing to the pictures... the pace, the pauses, the ups and the downs... all work together as the story unfolds, delivering an ending that make little hands want to read it all over again. Sharing a picture book creates time to talk, to learn, to feel and explore giving children space to see and hear and respond.

Yes. I am a huge advocate of picture books and the magic they hold.

But what about a book with little or no words? Can they support children’s development? Can they be magical too?

Harry Woodgate, me and Emma Reynolds outside Bologna Book Fair

I recently visited the Children’s Book Fair in Bologna where I spent quite some time in the Silent Stories Exhibit. The walls were literally lined with wordless wonders – several internal spreads from wordless projects enlarged and framed, and the full books below. I've written a little about my favourite titles below. In my view, wordless spreads absolutely CAN be as magical as books with words, maybe even more so. 

Here's why...

 

Cercas Gambas by Irene Frigo

There is a chair in the middle of nowhere. How it ended up there is unknown, but in the end it doesn't even matter. What is known is that that chair is missing a leg. Not that this makes it any less of a chair, but those who pass by are led to think that additional support could be useful. 

So, the most disparate things, from baguettes to umbrellas, from footballs to trumpets, are placed like prosthetics where the front right leg is not there. But baguettes are easy prey for hungry mice, umbrellas attract customers caught in the rain, balloons fly away and trumpets are made to be blown. 

This book made me smile. It made me think deeply about the wider world and that the chair was perhaps a metaphor for something else... and all through the exploration of a chair with a missing a leg.

Picture books make us think deeply, and without any words!

 

WINDOWS by Lana Alma

This book explores our perception of others through the metaphor of viewing fragments of people's lives through ‘windows.' It shows us how our beliefs shape our understanding, revealing that behind the curtains of perception, wondrous things might await, and our own monsters may not be monstrous at all.

This was another thought-provoking story - a simple but memorable wordless book poised to challenge readers and the judgements they make. 

Picture books can challenge stereotypes - and they can do it without words.  

PIANTALA by Alessia Roselli

This book featured a woodcutter who cuts down trees in the forest, disturbing the peace and balance in nature. But the woodcutter has a change of heart when they have a close encounter with a wolf who forces them to take refuge in a tree - nature bites back! 

 This wordless story tells us the importance of respecting the environment in which we live, which gives so much to us every day, without asking for anything in return. 

Wordless picture books have the power to inspire their readers to care and respect nature... and yet they have no words.  

IL CORAGGIO DI SUSY by Betty

Susy is a smart, curious little girl. She is happy in the house she grows up, and in her village, but with her fears also grow like a big black shadow that follows her everywhere. Her fear becomes bigger every day. When Susy notices the ugly monster behind her she is not afraid, she goes to the mirror to look at it better, even though it is really scary up close. 

This was an empowering - and at times, terrifying - story of courage and self-belief. 

Wordless picture books have the power to portray children's struggles and suggest coping strategies for difficult times. 

 

EVERY KINDNESS by Marta Bartolj

I also came across this book by Marta Bartolj. It's again, completely wordless, and depicts random acts of kindness across a community in a distinctive and deceptively simple way. There's plenty happening in the foreground and background of the illustrations and what goes around comes around for the main character.

Wordless picture books can encourage their readers to think about how their actions affect others. Wordless picture books can inspire empathy. 

SENZA FINE by Zongxi Deng

Probably the book that made the most impact on me, was this one by Zongxi Deng called Senza Fine. As with the other wordless picture books, it was powerful and deceptively simple, about a man who chooses which animal he wants to be reincarnated as after he passes away. Perhaps not everything disappears. Perhaps something remains... albeit in a different form. 

The Silent Stories exhibition was incredibly popular and at times there were several people crowded around the same book. When I read Senza Fine, I did so with another lady. We didn't communicate in words - I don't think we spoke the same language - but we made eye contact, we smiled and communicated through body language as we turned the pages and connected over our love for this book and its impactful end... and all without saying a word. 

Wordless picture books create connection, even without words. 

So, can you read a wordless picture?

Absolutely! You can!

Pictures books tell stories with or without the addition of words. And they do this through pictures. 

Visual literacy is the skill of inferring meaning from images - analysing them, interrogating them, making sense of them. Wordless pictures books still have characters, plots, crisis points, resolutions, themes... you can ask yourself them same who, what, where, when, why questions as you would with any other picture book... because they have pictures doing the work and telling the story. 

Picture books are praised for the high quality talk they provide. A wordless picture book can be even more powerful, with even more opportunities to grow discussion and to ask questions. And this is all thanks to the enchanting, terryfying, inspiring, beautiful, thoughtful, magical world of the illustrations.

OK, so you can't listen to the rhythm of the words or join in with the refrain and voices... 

But you can make up your own and that might be better! 

You can still feel the pace, the pauses, the ups and the downs... absorbing the story visually as it story unfolds. Sharing a wordless picture book still creates time to talk, to learn, to feel and explore through giving children space to see and hear and respond.

In fact, given that there’s no right or wrong way to tell a wordless story, it can lead to more talk time for co-creating the story together. There’s more opportunity to explore the detail, notice the nuance and challenging readers to look beneath the surface and bring their own experiences, attitudes, emotions and ideas to the characters and plot. 

In my opinion, wordless picture books are a challenge, a joy, a wonder. The ones I read at the Silent Stories exhibit, empowered me, inspired me, made me smile, made me think and brought me connection. When a story is shared, be it through listening, speaking, writing, we are all richer for it - be it through words, pictures or a combination.

These ideas are exactly what I was channelling when I wrote Moon Bear – an almost wordless, enchantingly illustrated picture book about a child called Ettie who is afraid of the dark. Ettie meets a bear is who afraid of the light, and together they learn about the magic of the night. Here I am holding a physical copy at the Quarto stand in Bologna! It's a sensational production and has been created with my co-collaborators - illustrator Carolina T. Godina, editor Claire Grace, designer Karissa Santos, and publisher Frances Lincoln.

This leads me nicely into the pitch for my next Picture Book Den article, coming in October. 

Can you write a wordless picture book?

Absolutely! You can!

Clare Helen Welsh is a children's writer from Devon. She writes fiction and non-fiction picture book texts - sometimes funny, sometimes lyrical and everything in between! Her latest picture book is called 'Moon Bear,' illustrated by Carolina T. Godina and published by Frances Lincolm. You can find out more about her at her website www.clarehelenwelsh.com or on Twitter @ClareHelenWelsh . Clare is represented by Alice Williams at Alice Williams Literary and is the founder of #BooksThatHelp.