Are you confused? That’s okay. I’m here to reassure you that you can and should absolutely read picture books to your child!
Have you ever picked up a wordless picture book and sat there unsure of what to do with it? How to share it with your child? The illustrations may be mesmerizing but without words, how does the story come to life? That is where you come in!
Wordless picture books offer us an opportunity to engage in more conversations with our child, not just reading a nice story together. These books help us slow down, put more effort into looking at the illustrations, and ignite our imaginations. A couple of my favorite wordless picture books are The Midnight Fair and One Little Bag.
The Midnight Fair shows us the fun that woodland creatures have when all the humans have gone to bed and the fair has been locked up for the night.
One Little Bag portrays a beautiful journey that a simple paper bag goes through and shows us how even the little things in life can help us feel connected with one another. 
You can make reading a wordless picture book even more exciting by grabbing a magnifying glass and taking turns looking at small details in the illustrations. You and your child could write your own version of the story! If you’re interested in checking out wordless picture books, this booklist has many more options for you! Happy reading!
--Kena Hardin, Children’s Library Associate, Central Library