Wordless Wednesday - Chalk by Bill Thomson

Wordless books are one way to tell a story. The child (or adult) has to look carefully at the pictures to see what is happening. All emotion, all details, everything is told only using illustrations. This can lead to many interpretations depending on what each child notices. Generally the artwork is amazing in wordless books. It is a place for the illustrator to showcase their talent

The art by Bill Thomson in Chalk looks almost like photographs. Here are some examples of what you will see in the book from his website:

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Three children walking in the rain find a gift bag full of chalk at a playground. They start to draw, and because the chalk is magical, their artwork comes to life. The expressions of fear on the children's faces when the T-Rex comes to life are incredibly realistic. What will they do to save themselves from this beast?

My thirteen-year-old son loved this one. So many times he said, "Wait," would turn the pages back, restudy the pictures, and then go forward. He loved this book as did I. All of the pictures in this book would be wonderful to use as writing prompts.

Do you have a favorite wordless book?