Lost Ball
A little ball rolls away. Look, discover, and tell the story of finding it again.
Try askingWhere do you think the ball went? How could the child get it back?
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Printable Wordless Picture Books for Speech Therapy and ESL
Picture stories without words, so every child can tell them their own way. Look closely, talk about what you see and build the story together.
Why share a wordless story?
Without printed text, the pictures carry the story. Children can join in before they read, describe what they notice and try out new words while an adult models language. Each pack also includes a short-text version with one possible telling.
Browse the scenes of Lost Ball one at a time.
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Picnic Prep
Pack a basket, find a spot, share a picnic, and leave the park tidy.
Try askingWhat would you pack for a picnic? What do they still need to do before going home?
$19.99 · Browse story packsThe Wet Painting
A bright painting is still wet. Sam spots a smear, finds a place to let the paper dry, and decides what to do next.
Try askingWhat happened to the painting? What would you do while it dries?
$19.99 · Browse story packsA Box Becomes a Boat
Jo and Noor turn an empty box into a pretend boat, test a sail, and change their design when it tips.
Try askingWhy did the sail fall over? What else could an empty box become?
$19.99 · Browse story packsA Place for the Seed
Lina plants a large seed with an adult, notices changes across several days, and finds a tiny shoot.
Try askingWhat does a seed need to grow? How long do you think it took?
$19.99 · Browse story packsThe Library Book
Omar wants to return a borrowed book. A librarian helps him find the right place, and he chooses another story.
Try askingWhere does a borrowed book go? Who could Omar ask when he is not sure?
$19.99 · Browse story packsThe Missing Mitten
Tess finds one mitten, follows a clue near the coat, and discovers its partner in a basket.
Try askingWhere would you look for a lost mitten? What clue did Tess notice?
$19.99 · Browse story packsA Quieter Spot
A busy park sound interrupts a picnic. Nia shows that she wants a change, and her family helps her find a quieter place.
Try askingHow does Nia feel when the music starts? How does she show it?
$19.99 · Browse story packsThe Toy Bridge
A toy bus needs to cross a pretend river. Ben and Imani try a paper bridge, notice a bend, and build a stronger support.
Try askingWhy did the bridge bend? How would you build it?
$19.99 · Browse story packsRain Changes the Plan
Kai and Ava plan an outdoor game. Rain arrives, so they compare ideas, try an indoor version, and make room to play together.
Try askingWhat can you play when it rains? Which idea would you choose?
$19.99 · Browse story packsThe Windy Delivery
Milo and Ruby carry a picture invitation to a neighbor. Wind sends it into a bush, so they ask an adult, recover it, and protect it for the rest of the trip.
Try askingWhat happened to the invitation? How could they keep it safe next time?
$19.99 · Browse story packsFirst Day in the New Classroom
Omar starts in a new classroom. A picture schedule, a hook of his own and a 'play together' card help him through saying goodbye, a tricky moment with the blocks, and missing home until pick-up.
Try askingHow does Omar feel at the classroom door? What helps him when he misses home?
$19.99 · Browse story packsThe Dentist Visit
Kai and his grandma visit the dentist. He tries the chair first, agrees a stop signal, uses it when the water straw is too loud, and finishes when he is ready.
Try askingWhat signal did Kai and the dentist agree on? What would you do if something felt too loud?
$19.99 · Browse story packsAfter the Tower Fell
Jo's cup tower falls and Jo thinks Noor did it, but readers can see the puppy's tail. A mix-up, time apart, a new clue, and a cup offered as a way to make up.
Try askingWho really knocked the tower over? How does Noor feel when Jo points?
$19.99 · Browse story packsWhen I Can't See My Grown-up
In the supermarket, Lina wanders toward the pinwheels and loses sight of Grandma. She stops, looks around, finds a worker in a green apron, shows her card and waits at the help desk until Grandma comes.
Try askingWhat did Lina do when she could not see Grandma? Who could you ask for help in a shop?
$19.99 · Browse story packsThe Night Light in the New House
Nia's family moves house. She packs her star night light last, finds the new room strange at night, goes to Dad for help and finds the light in her star box. In the morning she says hello to the new home.
Try askingWhy does the new room feel strange at night? What helps you fall asleep?
$19.99 · Browse story packsA question ladder for wordless stories
With no printed words, your questions do the work that text usually does. Climb the ladder slowly, from what is on the page to what the child thinks and feels. Wait after each question: pointing or a gesture is a full answer.
1Describe
Name what is in the picture: people, objects, places and actions.
“What do you see? Where are they?”
2Infer
Read feelings and reasons from faces, bodies and small details.
“How does she feel? What makes you think so?”
3Predict
Pause before the next picture and guess what comes next.
“What will happen now? How do you know?”
4Connect
Link the story to the child’s own life and ideas.
“Has this ever happened to you? What would you do?”
Repeat it, then add a little
When a child says “ball”, answer with a slightly longer version: “Yes, the ball rolled under the bench.” Repeating and adding one or two words shows the next step in language without correcting the child.
Who wordless picture stories are for
Children who don’t read yet
No decoding is needed, so pre-readers can lead the storytelling and practise the language they will later meet in print.
Children learning a second language
The pictures are the same in every language. Learners can tell the story in their home language first, then try key words in the new one.
Speech therapy and narrative goals
Wordless stories ask children to produce their own sentences instead of repeating a text, which makes them useful for retelling, wh-questions and sentence building.
Mixed groups and classrooms
Everyone takes part at their own level, from naming one object to telling the whole story with because and so.
From pictures to words
Every pack has the same story in two forms. The wordless version leaves the telling to the child. The short-text version offers one simple way to say it, with a short sentence for each scene, for adults who want a model or children who are starting to read.
A good routine: share the wordless version first, tell it together, and only then compare it with the short text. Children often notice that their version is longer or different, which is a great place to start a conversation. Picture cards for putting the story in order are included too.
How to share a wordless story
- Look through every picture once before talking about the story.
- Point to details and name them: who is there, where they are, what they are doing.
- Ask open questions such as “What do you think happens next?” and wait.
- Tell the story together, then compare it with the short-text version.
A few helpful answers
What is a wordless picture book?
A wordless picture book tells its story only through illustrations. Readers describe the pictures and create the words themselves, so adults and children can share it at any reading level.
How do wordless stories support language?
Talking about pictures invites children to name, describe, explain and predict. Adults can model new words and sentences while children take part by pointing, gesturing or speaking.
Can I use them with children who don't read yet?
Yes. No reading is needed. The short-text version is optional, for adults or for children who are starting to read.
How do you read a wordless picture book with a child?
Look through all the pictures once, then go back and talk about each one. Ask open questions, give time to answer and add a few words to what the child says. There is no single right story; the goal is to talk together.
Are wordless stories good for speech therapy?
Many speech-language therapists use them because the child produces the language instead of repeating a text. They suit narrative retell, wh-questions, describing and sentence building. Start with a short story and add length as confidence grows.
Can wordless stories help children learning English?
Yes. The pictures make the meaning clear, so learners can focus on a few new words and short sentences. Telling the story in the home language first is a help, not a step backwards.
How are these different from a wordless picture book from the library?
They work the same way, but each story also comes as cut-out picture cards and a short-text version, in seven languages. You can talk about it, put it in order and retell it with the same set of pictures.