The picture tells it all
Proma Basu Roy
I have always believed that everyone can read. I say everyone because I have seen people from a range of diverse social backgrounds read, even though some may never have been to school or may not have known how to read letters, words or sentences. But they read. They read pictures, symbols and travel through a flight of meaning-making. When I was a child, I read books only by looking at the pictures. This was before I learned to read the text. Later, even when I could read texts, I would often be lazy and would still continue reading only the pictures; and how beautifully the story would unfold. Every page made sense without the support of the paragraphs.
And then I found books without words! Wordless picture books fascinate me. I think they are most effortlessly inclusive by themselves. I do not mean that books with words are not, but for wordless picture books, the readership itself is so universal that even those who are yet to read words can be included in the ambit of the reading joy. Also the journey of visual experience is boundless. It is irrespective of who you are and where you are from that you are able to read the book.
There are a number of Indian publications of wordless picture books, like, ‘Flitter-Flutter’ (NBT), ‘Busy Ants’ (NBT), ‘The Story of a Mango’ (NBT), ‘Find the Half Circle’ (NBT), ‘Homes’ (NBT), ‘Flutterfly’ (Tulika), ‘Ammachi’s Glasses’ (Tulika), ‘Round and Round Books’ (Tulika), ‘Loop’ (Eklavya), ‘Cheenta’ (Eklavya) and more. Among foreign publications, the range is wider. I first introduced wordless picture books to a mixed group of children in a school in Kolkata where I work for their library. The group had children with different reading levels. They were to read in pairs. I randomly paired them without any conscious thought to what kind of pairs would work best. As a result, there were pairs where one read proficiently and one could not, pairs where both could not, and pairs where both could. Each pair received a picture book which they were to first read, followed by a set of activities. When most of them completed reading, I saw one pair still struggling to finish the book. I realized it was difficult for them and replaced it with another book called ‘Flutterfly’. The child immediately leafed through the book to get a quick glance if she could manage this one, and to her dismay, with utmost surprise, shouted out, “What do we read? There is nothing in this book!” It was such an honest moment of concern for her. Her expression said that she sincerely felt that there was something wrong. I told her that the book had no words and the story was in the pictures.
It was easy going thereafter with much satisfaction in being able to complete reading this book. This was a reinforcement of the prevalent association of ‘reading’ with ‘texts’ only. Over so many years, illustrations have been considered as an add-on, supplementing the text, but seldom imagining that they are an independent narrative by their own merit, and a parallel story-weaving medium. Wordless picture books are still unknown to many. Compared to picture books they are much fewer in number. And thus, they come as a surprise altogether.
Wordless picture books act as a catalyst for immersing children into the book world. The nature of the books is so non-threatening that there is an immediate attachment with the reader. And what is best is that the children are then drawn to more books on the shelf. I have witnessed this process with a group of children who used to pick books from the shelf only to look at the pictures, and then gradually got into reading the texts too.
Reading the visual narrative is not only an exciting process for all children, but its pedagogical significance is also immense. It gives children a free hand to interpret the characters without textual support confirming their ideas (Frank Serafini, 2014). For my library sessions, I began working with wordless picture books with children who could read proficiently or not. For children who could read, the books helped them to enjoy the ambiguity of the pictorial narrative, probing hypotheses to what the illustration could be revealing. It generated many debates among them. One such was the ending of ‘Flitter-Flutter’, where children found it difficult to draw a conclusion regarding why and what the ending could mean. It put them in a cycle of constructing their own interpretations in multifarious ways. Illustrations are often so beautifully open ended that they engage children in a thinking loop. For children who could not read proficiently, the wordless picture books gave them the confidence that they could read and make sense of the story. And through the pictures they, over time, glided into the text.
With the latter group, although they read wordless picture books, initially I was not sure of how much sense they were making of it since there was a resistance to speak about the book. At such times, I think children should not be probed too assertively. I have faith that the books, no matter to what degree, stirs them up and there does come a point of readiness when they feel like expressing and sharing. In a few weeks, two of them came to me and asked if there were other wordless picture books that they could read. This was the first time that they showed any interest on their own. I saw them opening up slowly, with a sense of ‘I-have-read-these-books’. How reassuring is the joy of completing a book!
Reading the world has thus seldom been only about reading the word. As librarians, teachers and practitioners of education, it may be important for us to support children in the meaning-making process and find magic in this making. Through pictorial language they need to be brought into the written language and then, from the written language they can branch out into deeper realms of thought and imagination through pictorial language. It is a continuous journey back and forth, each leading to the other. Also, it may be a good opportunity to help children slow down and pay closer attention to the details of the illustrations (Frank Serafini, 2014). To become visually aware and sensitive is a much desirable attribute across all ages, and to initiate this journey through a wordless picture book is sure to be a happy beginning.
Activities with wordless picture books
Simple reading – Children can quietly read the book on their own; a very leisurely read.
Continuing the story – The wordless picture book can be taken forward by asking children to make their own pictorial story, of what possibly can happen after the end. This can be done through only pictures like the book, or writing the continuation, or both.
Creating an independent wordless story – Without referring to any book, children can create their independent stories through pictures.
Sharing the book aloud – The book can be shared aloud by the teacher by reading the pictures, interspersed with questions and brief discussions. For most wordless picture books, the surprise is at the end. Try not to show the end, until the very end. This can also be done by the children through a simple story sharing while showing the pictures.
Discussion – With older children, a more layered and/or complex wordless picture book could be used like ‘Journey’, ‘Quest’, ‘Return’, ‘Visitor’, etc., to discuss the complex idea and the philosophy that the illustration holds. A good discussion with children is a very important and stimulating factor. It significantly helps a child to think. The fundamental idea of the book ‘Flitter-Flutter’ (See Book Review) can also be discussed.
Questions to probe a closer reading of the book – While picture reading the book to children, questions such as these can be asked:
- Why do you think her face is red?
- What is happening?
- What is the person/animal feeling? How do you know?
- What time of the day do you think this is happening? How can you guess from the picture?
- Why do you think this page has nothing but some lines?
BOOK REVIEW
A story that flutters by
‘Flitter-Flutter’ by Jeyanthi Manokaran is a wordless picture book. On a clear bright day, a young girl paints a house with Warli art. She draws animals, insects, people, trees and huts. And just when she is about to finish, the butterfly comes to life, slips out of the wall and flies away. The girl is bewildered as much as disheartened at the escape. She chases it, running over animals that come her way; her run from one animal to another makes ‘movement’ a very special feature of the book and the strokes of the brush around the characters makes this very vivid. However, the ending does not follow the convention of chasing and catching. The illustrator most tenderly brings out the multiple senses of a chase in its final moments.
Even before opening the book, the reader sees the beautiful excited girl holding the butterfly and gives a clue only of the basic connection between the girl and the butterfly. In no way does the cover disclose the journey that the book is likely to take the reader through, making it interspersed with surprise. The girl’s sole purpose is to bring back the butterfly which is hers’. Only towards the end when she is tired of chasing does the story begin to unfold differently.
The theme of the book has been presented in layers. To children it may appear as a game of chasing – funny and scary. To adults, the cycles of the never-ending quest, desire and fulfillment may be apparent. Additionally, the adult reader may be able to connect to the Vedic sense that, detaching oneself from the object of desire is the sole route to acquisition. The narrative seems equally engaging for both groups of readers.
The illustrator holds great craftsmanship in her ability to communicate expressions. The expression on each character is one of the highlights of the book. The choice of colour makes the illustrations subtle and the soft character depiction makes them appealing. Manokaran uses watercolour, pastels and colour pencils. The diverse mediums have worked in favour of adding visual layers to the illustration.
The wordlessness of the book holds scope to perceive and understand the implicit messages only through the pictures. Published by NBT the book may gain a larger outreach, and be able to reach individuals who have stayed away from books since they have associated reading only with texts. Librarians can use this book to engage children inclusively, both, who can read and who are yet to read. It is with hope that this book will draw more readers to the world of stories, colour and imagination and will travel across many interior spaces of the country.
The author works with books, children and libraries in West Bengal and in other states. She is based in Kolkata and can be reached at promabasuroy@gmail.com.
