Silent Books
Anno’s Journey by Mitsumasa Anno
🌍 Anno’s Journey – A Wordless Wander Through Europe
Mitsumasa Anno, the renowned Japanese author and illustrator, takes readers on a quiet yet deeply engaging journey across Europe in this beautifully crafted wordless picture book. Inspired by his fascination with the continent, Anno’s Journey unfolds through a series of intricate watercolour landscapes that celebrate art, architecture, daily life, and folklore.
Each double-page spread is a world in itself—villages bustle, markets bloom, children play, and tiny stories unfold in every corner. From a prisoner’s daring escape to an artist painting en plein air, these scenes invite the reader to slow down, observe, and interpret. Anno’s illustrations are gentle and precise, with buildings, streets, and countryside drawn to scale, offering both a visual feast and a subtle geography lesson.
Children will love hunting for the recurring motif of the artist on horseback—a game of visual hide-and-seek that sharpens attention and rewards curiosity. Adults, meanwhile, may spot tributes to European art and literature: a nod to the French Impressionists, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza at the windmill, or even The Enormous Turnip, tucked among the scenes.
A reflective note by Anno at the end of the book offers insight into his inspirations and intent—it’s so rich with context, one might wish it appeared at the front to guide the journey from the outset. And while I couldn’t quite find Beethoven in the window, perhaps a younger reader’s eyes might succeed where mine didn’t.
This is a book to wander through slowly, returning again and again to discover new details. It is wordless, yet it speaks volumes. For older children, teens, or even adults, it can spark storytelling, quiet contemplation, or thoughtful discussion. Its potential in therapy and educational settings is notable, particularly in supporting visual literacy and imaginative exploration.
📚 Recommended for:
Ages 4 to adult
Paperstar. The Putnam & Grosset Group. 1977.
ISBN 9780698114333
Footpath Flowers by Jon Arno Lawson. Illustrated by Sydney Smith.
🌸 Footpath Flowers – A Wordless Tribute to Small Acts of Kindness
Footpath Flowers (also known as Sidewalk Flowers) is a masterclass in quiet storytelling. In this wordless picture book by poet Jon Arno Lawson and illustrator Sydney Smith, a little girl gathers wildflowers along a city walk with her father—and with each step, she gives them away. To a bird, a dog, a stranger, her mother. Each gesture is small, unspoken, and full of quiet tenderness.
The father, on his phone, is unaware of what is happening, but the child notices everything. A dead bird. A man on a bench. A dog waiting alone. Her compassion unfolds without fanfare, her actions speaking more powerfully than words ever could.
Sydney Smith’s illustrations elevate the narrative to something extraordinary. At first, the city is rendered in a near-monochrome wash. Only the girl’s red coat and the flowers she collects are in colour—a visual cue to her presence, her sensitivity, her growing impact. Gradually, other colours begin to bloom: in market stalls, clothes, bottles in a shop window. The world brightens as the story progresses, subtly echoing the girl’s quiet influence on her environment.
The child is never named, and there is no text to guide the reader making the story more powerful. Lawson has said the story was inspired by his own daughter’s unprompted kindness: “She wasn’t doing it for praise, she was just doing it.” That authenticity shines through in every frame.
Endpapers adorned with birds and blossoms bookend the story, reminding us of nature around us. This is a picture book that lingers in the mind, inviting reflection with every turn of the page. It’s ideal for encouraging emotional awareness, visual storytelling, or simply being absorbed in silence.
📚 Recommended for:
Ages 4–9
The Putnam & Grosset Group. Paperback. 1977.