Footpath Flowers
by JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Sydney Smith
Interest age: 5 to 7
Published by Walker Books, 2016
About this book
A little girl takes a walk through town with her distracted father. She notices flowers growing in unexpected places; blooming through cracks in the pavement and climbing out of walls. The little girl collects the flowers and then hands them out to the people and animals she meets on the rest of the walk home. These small acts of kindness bring colour to the world around her.
This wordless picture book is a beauty to behold. Sydney Smith's painterly illustrations are completely gorgeous. Each spread plays with angles, viewpoints and ways of keeping the frames moving forwards with lively layouts and cinematic direction. The colours are muted and the grey townscape is slowly overturned by the spread of florals that put whole panels in colour.
Older children will enjoy telling the story behind these silent scenes. It is a thoughtful, inventive and memorable picture book.
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Lists of recommended reads
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Wordless picture books: a great way to get your child to tell the story
Illustrated stories are an enjoyable way to develop visual literacy and help lead a child through a story. But have you tried a wordless picture book? These encourage children to think for themselves and form their own interpretation of what is happening in the narrative. They’re a great way to expand the imagination and have a lot fun doing it! Why not give one of these a go and see what you come up with…?