9 non-human characters who don't talk
Author Sophie Anderson recommends nine books with fantastic, unusual characters.
Sophie Anderson
Children’s literature is rich with anthropomorphised animals and other fantastic entities who talk, but there are many wonderful non-human characters who communicate without words too.
I love to write creatures, both real and imagined, who share their thoughts and feelings in other creative ways.
In The House with Chicken Legs Runs Away, the house expresses itself through the shrug of its eaves or the tilt of its windows; the smile of its porch or the impatient twitching of its long, clawed toes.
There is also a jackdaw, Jack, and a flying mortar and pestle, Valiant, who have distinct and strong personalities and opinions, all conveyed through body language (and in Jack’s case, the occasional vocalisation).
Characters like these are important because they show that a diverse range of communication methods can be used to gain understanding and insight, and that caring relationships can be formed without the need for words.
And as for showing usually inanimate objects communicating – like houses, mortars and pestles, and even the bones of a fence – perhaps this will inspire readers to look at the world more closely and find wonder and magic in even the seemingly ordinary.
A few of my favourite non-human characters who bring a huge amount to their stories without words include…
1. The robot in I’m Going to Make a Friend by Darren Chetty, illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat
In this fantastically fun celebration of friend-making, a young child creates a robot from everyday objects. Although the robot doesn’t talk, the child begins to wonder about their hidden thoughts, feelings and wishes.
And when a new child wants to join in their games, even deeper lessons are learned about friendship – all through actions, rather than words. Perfect for sparking imaginations and stimulating conversations.
2. The dog in Stormy by Guojing
Stormy is a heartwarming, wordless picture book about a stray dog finding their forever home with a kind young woman.
Through exquisite illustrations, deftly showing emotions through body language, we watch the young woman patiently coax the scared dog to play, and trust and friendship slowly blossom, until a dramatic storm finally leads to a joyful happily ever after.
3. The skeleton in John the Skeleton by Triinu Laan, illustrated by Marja-Liisa Plats, translated from Estonian by Adam Cullen
This is a playful, quirky story about a classroom skeleton retiring to a new home with Grams and Gramps, where he has several small, silent adventures, including saving the village from crooks, making snow angels after a sauna, and perhaps most importantly of all, offering support to Grams and Gramps through quiet listening.
A poignant and wise meditation on the things that scare and comfort us, and on how we can care for each other.
4. Wahine the giant shark in Ariki and the Giant Shark by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Nicola Kinnear
Nicola Davies always writes animal characters, and their relationships with humans, with expertise, honesty and beauty.
Ariki, the young hero of this gorgeous, thrilling adventure, befriends a giant shark that the rest of her community fears and makes everyone realise that they can help each other. This is a passionate call to observe and listen carefully, and protect all the creatures with whom we share our world.
5. Nyla the Sloth Bear in Puloma and the Bear by Jasbinder Bilan, illustrated by Skylar White
In this evocatively drawn story, young Puloma escapes an unloving home and rescues Nyla the sloth bear from circus captivity and terrible cruelty.
Nyla is realistically portrayed and her relationship to Puloma skilfully developed over a fast-paced adventure that tugs readers to a satisfying conclusion, in which both characters find what they need. Captivating and courageous, with a powerful message.
6. The Fiend in Aliya to the Infinite City by Laila Rifaat
When Aliya is whisked off to an academy for time travellers, she discovers an incredible parallel Egypt populated by ghouls, genies, sphinxes and flying carpets – including one called The Fiend.
This is a hugely imaginative and thrilling adventure story, set in a world bursting with life and magic. And there are two more books in the series!
7. Queen Elizabeth III (aka Betsy) in Nate Yu’s Blast from the Past by Maisie Chan
Nate Yu is an amateur myrmecologist, which means he loves to study ants, and his passion for his prized ant farm – and especially Betsy, the queen of the colony – shines from the page.
Betsy has a presence way beyond her size and I found myself fully invested in her fate, whilst gripped by Nate’s story, which involves ghosts, supressed histories, and a heart-expanding journey of self-discovery.
8. Venom and Vulture in Rat by Patrice Lawence
Al is a young boy living in incredibly tough circumstances and his pet rats, Venom and Vulture, offer him friendship, comfort, moments of quiet tenderness… and an opportunity for revenge.
I love this fast-paced, edge-of-seat story that deftly explores big themes while offering us a moving insight into a beautiful relationship with these much-maligned animals.
9. Nix in Sadé and Her Shadow Beasts by Rachel Faturoti, illustrated by Rumbidzai Savanhu
Sadé loves escaping into her vibrant inner world with rapping roses, candy floss clouds and incredible, beautiful beasts – including Nix, a wonderful character with “wide lavender and orange lily ombré wings” and “soft velvety lilac petals on her head”.
But after her mother dies, Sadé’s world changes and some of the beasts even escape into reality. This is a lyrical, moving, extraordinary tale of working through guilt and grief, and the power of imagination and creativity. I loved it.
The House with Chicken Legs Runs Away written by Sophie Anderson, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli (interiors) and Melissa Castrillón (cover) is out now.
