<< Return to main Book Club page
How to Read a Picture:
Wordless Graphic Novels &
Visual Storytelling
- The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Told as a series of wordless images, The Arrival is the story of an impoverished immigrant who finds himself in a bewildering city of foreign customs, peculiar animals, curious floating objects, and indecipherable languages. He is helped along the way by sympathetic strangers, each carrying their own unspoken history: stories of struggle and survival in a world of incomprehensible violence, upheaval, and hope.
Find in Library
- A Sea of Love by Wilfrid Lupano & Gregory Panaccione
When an old fisherman fails to return after a storm, his doting wife goes on a madcap adventure across the ocean to find him. Completely wordless, this heartwarming and often hilarious adventure is a testament to not only the power of sequential storytelling, but the power of love itself. Nominated for 3 Eisner Awards.
Find in Library
- Leaf by Daishu Ma
How much power does a single man, let alone a single leaf, have in the industrial world? In this wordless, all-ages graphic novel, our protagonist discovers a leaf that radiates a vibrant light. He returns to a detailed metropolis ― depicted in somber grays and blues ― and searches for answers. During his quest, he stumbles upon a man who knows what’s really happening in the city’s labyrinthine ducts; a woman who spends her life studying and classifying obsolete flora; and the truth about the ever-dwindling environment.
Find in a Library
- Picture This: How Pictures Work by Molly Bang
This influential book explains the 12 essential principles artists use to craft emotionally compelling narratives without words and examines how composition, color, and shape guide readers through unforgettable stories.
Find in a Library
Need help finding these books? Contact a librarian at your campus, or connect to the Ask-a-Librarian service via Chat, Email, or Text.
