In this picturebook, a woman returns home from her exciting life in the city to visit her grandmother, but finds that she is a giant compared to her, representing her sense of maturity and new-found independence. However, as she reconnects with her … [Read more...]
Tierenduin [Whose Zoo]
This look-and-search book challenges the reader to see things differently. The mouth of a tiger hides the face of a sloth; the teeth of a snake become the icebergs upon which a polar bear roams. The book asks us to reconsider what we expect to see … [Read more...]
Meidän piti lähteä [We had to Leave]
This is another example of a wordless picturebook that deals with the topic of the migrant crisis. We Had to Leave is gentler and happier than the other examples in the corpus: Migrando [Migrating], Orizzonti [Horizons], and Mediterraneo [The … [Read more...]
Che Capolavoro! [What a Masterpiece!]
This picturebook takes canonical examples of classic and modern art to explore the universality of artwork in everyday life. The main character is surrounded by signifiers of art and culture - from Banksy to Salvador Dali, from Einstein to the Eiffel … [Read more...]
Ką padarė žirklės? [What the Scissors Did]
The majority of wordless picturebooks produced in Europe are produced in Northern and Western European countries. However, the oldest example of the form used in this corpus is a Lithuanian wordless picturebook originally published in 1961. It has … [Read more...]
כשירד הלילה [When the Night Fell]
This vibrantly illustrated wordless picturebook explores the role of creation and creativity in the imagination of children. A young girl draws a group of monsters, an elephant, and a little girl on a sheet of paper with a set of pencils. The figures … [Read more...]
Where’s the Elephant?
Children, like adults, quickly develop sophisticated expectations of genre and style – for example, seeking to see the similarities that define certain types of picturebooks. This picturebook by French artist Barroux plays upon these expectations by … [Read more...]
Where’s the Starfish?
Barroux’s sequel to Where’s the Elephant? plays upon the same premise. The ludic format of the wimmelbook, such as Where’s Wally, becomes a catalyst for an important message about protecting the environment. Children will have great fun spotting the … [Read more...]
Kim Bu Gelen? [Who is this Coming?]
A game of chess between chickens is disturbed by the loud footsteps of a passing giraffe in this eccentric Turkish wordless picturebook. The chickens try hard to get the attention of the giraffe and the picturebook ends with the arrival of an even … [Read more...]
