The Lion & The Mouse

Title: The Lion & The Mouse

Author: Jerry Pinkney
Illustrations: Jerry Pinkney
Published: Pinkney, J. (2010). The lion & the mouse. New York: Little, Brown and Company: Books for Young Readers.
Themes: wordless, friendship, kindness, Aesop fable

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In award-winning artist Jerry Pinkney's wordless adaptation of one of Aesop's most beloved fables; an unlikely pair learn that no act of kindness is ever wasted. This story shows us that even the King of the Jungle needs help, and a tiny mouse can be that helper. With vivid depictions of the landscape of the African Serengeti and expressively-drawn characters, Pinkney makes this a truly special retelling, and his stunning pictures speak volumes. Even though there are no words in this book the story about kindness still comes through. 

This is one of my most beloved picture books in my entire collection; the exquisite 2010 Caldecott Medal winner. Pinkey's illustrations need no words at all; they are so intrinsic and detailed in their own right.

Wordless books, when done properly, have a valued role within our classrooms. This book especially is a fantastic introduction into the concept of visual literacy; how can the illustrations help us know what's going on? What do the character's body language and facial expressions tell us?



Classroom Ideas:

-  Have multiple people "read" the story. Have students reflect on the question - How was the story different from the way I understood the story?
- Using a pad of sticky notes, have students create a dialogue for the characters. What are the animals saying when they're together? What are they thinking when they're alone?
- Create a T-Chart on a piece of paper. On one side write the word "Mouse" and on the other side write the word "Lion". In each column, write down character traits of each animal. How are they different? How are they the same?
- If you were to interview one of the main characters, who would you interview? What would you ask them? Create an interview between you and one of the characters. Have students either record this interview or act it out in front of the class.
- Have students turn to their favourite picture in the book. What visual cues (hints) are present that let the reader know what is happening in the story?
- Can you think of another pair of animals that would make good main characters? Have students create their own wordless book with these characters.
- Reflection question: 
a) The Lion & The Mouse demonstrates “the golden rule”. The golden rule is “do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.” What does this mean? Why is this a good rule?
b) Why do you think the author chose to include animal sounds as the only words in the book?

Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad

Title: Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad
Author: Henry Cole
Illustrations: Henry Cole
Published: Cole. H. (2012). Unspoken: A story from the underground railroad. New York: Scholastic Press.
Themes: wordless, courage, bravery, friendship, historical fiction, civil war, underground railroad, safe houses

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I am a historical fiction junkie. Mix that together with a wordless book and you've got me hooked! I cannot express enough how much I LOVE this book! Seriously, I don't know if I've ever seen a more breathtaking book in my life; Henry Cole has created a masterpiece. I'm actually a little sad that this book did not win the Caldecott Medal (although This is Not My Hat is pretty great as well).

This book focuses on a young girl at the time of the civil war. One day when she goes to collect eggs from the barn, she gets a lingering suspicion that she's not in there alone. This book focuses around the pivotal question "what would you do if you had the chance to help a person find freedom?" 

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Classroom Ideas:
- Inference/prediction, have students talk about what they think is happening in the pictures. Have students make predictions about what they think will be on the next page? What will happen to the characters next? What clues are in the picture that tell us what is happening in the story?
- Have students pick one page in the book and write a descriptive paragraph explaining what is happening in the illustration.
- Have students create a character web on the main character - what does the author reveal to us about the young girl through the pictures?
- Looking at the pictures, can you figure out what the mood of the story is?
- Read the Author's Note presented on the back page. Discuss the courage and bravery of both of the young characters in the book.
- Have students reflect on the question "what would you do if you had the chance to help a person find freedom?" 
- Have students create a visual journal (half pictures, half words) about what they think will happen after the last page of the book. What will happen to the two characters? 

  
I just want to leave you with a section from the Author's Note:

"I wanted to make this a wordless book. The two main characters in the story are both brave, have a strong bond, and communicate with great depth. Yet, both are silent. They speak without words. Because I made only the pictures, I'm hoping that you will write the words and make this story your own - filling in all the has been unspoken." (Henry Cole) 

Pick up a wordless book today!

Journey

Title: Journey
Author: Aaron Becker
Illustrations: Aaron Becker
Published: Becker, A. (2013). Journey. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.
Themes: adventure, imagination, self-determination, unexpected friendship

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A lonely little girl enters into a new and exciting world with her red crayon, a marker that can help her create anything she wants. She journeys along until she comes across an unexpected friendship. 

It's no secret that I'm a sucker for a good wordless book. There are just endless possibilities for classroom use and can easily be used for all students in your classroom.

Classroom Ideas:
- Wordless books are great for working on inference and prediction skills (something our students are in desperate need of ).
- Have students create one last picture for the book. What would the next page look like? What would the two friends be doing next?
- Have students choose one picture in the book and write a descriptive paragraph about what is happening on the page.
- Have students create a concept map on journeys

Discussion Questions:
- What would you do with a magical crayon?
- Why do you think the girl is lonely at the beginning of the book?


How do you feel about wordless books?