Materials
- Several copies of any of the following book titles: Tuesday; June 29, 1999; Sector 7; or Free Fall, all by David Wiesner.
- Writing paper and writing instruments, or a computer.
Time Required: 60 minutes
Set up
- Set up tables for childrens group work.
- Place several of the above titles at each table if possible.
- Provide each group with writing paper and writing instruments, or computers.
Directions
- Share a wordless book by David Wiesner by simply turning the pages so that children can see the book progression.
- Ask questions about the action to elicit the childrens thoughts. Do not try to read the story-simply expose children to the illustrations.
- Divide the children into groups, each seated at a table. The group will spend time looking through the various books and decide which book to use.
- Then, as a group, they will make up a story to accompany the illustrations, jointly deciding character and place names. They can either write the story or dictate it to an adult writing or typing the words. If it is difficult for the group to work together page by page, have each child tell the story for a few pages. Then the group can share the story orally, each child in the group "telling" the pages they created.
Volunteer Involvement
Volunteers may:
- Help each group stay on task. (The volunteer should not help make up dialogue, character, or place names.)
- Record the story while the children are telling it, making sure handwriting is legible so they can later read it to the entire group.
- Type the story and have it reproduced for later reading.
Family Involvement
Families may:
- Have the children read the typed stories aloud.
- "Review" the stories and write comments.
- Help the children draw or paint pictures to illustrate the stories.
Community Connection
- Take children on a walk around the community and snap photographs of actions in the community. Use an instamatic or digital camera, if possible, otherwise the activity must wait until the pictures are developed.
- For each photo, have students write a story that includes what happened preceding the action in the photograph and what might happen next.
Adaptations
Pick a wordless book and visit a public library to find musical cassettes and CDs to accompany the story. Listen to various musical recordings to find one that goes well with the text.
Related Resources
Web Sites:
An excellent Web site with information on the illustrator David Wiesner, his various works, and his creative process.
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/wiesner/
Books:
Wordless Books by David Wiesner:
Free Fall. Houghton Mifflin, 1988.
June 29, 1999. Houghton Mifflin, 1992.
Sector 7. Houghton Mifflin, 1999.
Tuesday. Houghton Mifflin, 1991.
Some Other Popular Books by David Wiesner:
Hurricane. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
Three Pigs. Houghton Mifflin, 2001.
Night of the Gargoyles by Eve Bunting. Houghton Mifflin, 1994.
Other Examples of Wordless Books:
Anno. Anno's Journey. Philomel, 1978.
Baker, Jeannie. Window. Greenwillow, 1991.
Banyai, Istvan. Zoom. Viking, 1995. Also, Re-Zoom.
Day, Alexandra. Carls Birthday. Farrar Straus Giroux, 1995. (many other Carl titles).
Mayer, Mercer. A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog. Dial, 2003.
McCully, Emily. Picnic. HarperCollins, 1987.
Rathman, Peggy. 10 Minutes till Bedtime. Putnam, 1998.
Rohmann, Eric. My Friend Rabbit. Roaring Brook, 2002. (minimal text)
Rohmann, Eric. Time Flies. Crown, 1994.
VanAllsburg, Chris. Bens Dream. Houghton Mifflin, 1997. (minimal text)
Weitzman, Jacqueline. You Cant Take a Balloon into the National Gallery. Dial, 2000. Also, You Cant Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum.
