Book picks similar to
Why? by Nikolai Popov


picture-books
war
wordless
animals

The Story Blanket


Ferida Wolff - 2008
    They settle down on her big, old story blanket and listen to her imaginative tales.One day, Babba Zarrah notices that Nikolai needs new socks, but she has no yarn. "Every question has an answer," Babba Zarrah tells herself, "I just have to find it." So after the children leave, she unravels part of her story blanket and knits him some nice warm socks.As villagers start receiving mysterious gifts to keep them warm, the story blanket gets smaller and smaller until the children have nothing to sit on at story time. When the villagers finally discover Babba Zarrah's secret, they decide to give her a surprise of her own.This heartwarming story from Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz is a wonderful read-aloud experience, rich with themes of community, sharing, generosity, and kindness--with a touch of upcycling. Paired with Elena Odriozola's folk-tinged illustrations, this tale is one to read while cuddled up with the ones you love.Awards: Best Children's Books of the Year ―Bank Street College of EducationParents' Choice Silver Honor ―Parents' Choice Foundation

Float


Daniel Miyares - 2015
    A boy.A boat.A rainy day.An adventure.A boy's small paper boat and his large imagination fill the pages of this wordless picture book, a modern-day classic from the creator of Pardon Me! that includes endpaper instructions for building a boat of your own.This seemingly simple story from Daniel Miyares is enriched with incredible depth and texture that transcend words.

Dogger


Shirley Hughes - 1977
    "Warmly satisfying....Hughes has a way of zeroing in on the foibles of childhood with remarkable accuracy; this doesn't miss its mark."--Booklist.

Missing Mommy: A Book About Bereavement


Rebecca Cobb - 2009
    I am not sure where she has gone.Honest and straightforward, this touching story explores the many emotions a bereaved child may experience, from anger and guilt to sadness and bewilderment. Ultimately, Missing Mommy focuses on the positive—the recognition that the child is not alone but still part of a family that loves and supports him.

Tough Guys Have Feelings Too


Keith Negley - 2015
    . . even daddies have emotions!Did you know wrestlers have feelings? And knights. Even superheroes and ninjas feel sad sometimes. In fact everyone has feelings—especially dads who love their children!Children will love recognizing their feelings in Keith Negley's bold illustrations which accompany a fun-to-read-aloud narrative.Parents can joyfully engage with children in a lighthearted discussion about emotions and how they affect us all!Keith Negley is an award-winning editorial illustrator with a penchant for emotionally driven illustration. He's been published in a wide range of major newspapers and national magazines, and is a frequent contributor to the New York Times and New Yorker. He lives in the mountains of Bellingham, Washington, surrounded by rain forests and giant spiders.

Leaf


Sandra Dieckmann - 2017
    Then one day, they watch as he attempts to fly over the water with wings made of colorful leaves, just trying to go home.Maybe he needs some help?Sandra Dieckmann is a UK-based artist best known for her colorful and intricate drawings of nature and wildlife. Dieckmann was chosen by Oscar-winning animator and illustrator Shaun Tan as the Emerging Talent in Illustration for her image Fox Tree.

Mum's Jumper


Jayde Perkin - 2019
    And Mum's Jumper might be a way to keep her close.A simple, heartfelt and ultimately uplifting book for anyone coping with loss.

A Child's Garden


Michael Foreman - 2008
    But the boy sees a tiny speck of green peeping up toward the sunlight, and he quietly begins to coax it with water and care. What sort of promise can a vine’s spreading tendrils bring to a bleak landscape? A beautifully illustrated tale of healing and renewal from a world-acclaimed children’s book creator, A Child’s Garden pays gentle tribute to the human spirit.

The Tree House


Marije Tolman - 2009
    A polar bear rides a whale to a tree rising out of the water. At the top of the tree is a tree house. He’s joined by a brown bear in a boat. The bears find that the tree house is the perfect place to read. When the water recedes, they are joined by flamingos, panda bears, and other animals that come by land and air. The tree house is a place of wonder, where a brown bear catches snowflakes in a butterfly net.

The Only Child


Guojing - 2015
    USA Today  declared it “a compelling and melancholy debut from an important new talent" as well as "an expansive and ageless book full of wonder, sadness, and wild bursts of imagination.” And like Shaun Tan's The Arrival and Raymond Briggs's The Snowman, it is quickly becoming a modern classic.   A little girl—lost and alone—follows a mysterious stag deep into the woods, and, like Alice down the rabbit hole, she finds herself in a strange and wondrous world. But... home and family are very far away. How will she get back there?   In this magnificently illustrated—and wordless—masterpiece, debut artist Guojing brilliantly captures the rich and deeply-felt emotional life of a child, filled with loneliness and longing as well as love and joy.

The Memory Tree


Britta Teckentrup - 2013
    He lies down in his favourite clearing, and falls asleep for ever. Before long, Fox's friends begin to gather in the clearing. One by one, they tell stories of the special moments that they shared with Fox. And so, as they share their memories, a tree begins to grow, becoming bigger and stronger with each memory, sheltering and protecting all the animals in the forest, just as Fox did when he was alive.

Fossil


Bill Thomson - 2013
    The boy is so intrigued that he breaks two more fossils that come to life—a dragonfly and a pteranodon. When these prehistoric creatures collide with present reality, the boy must figure out a way to make things go back to normal. Visually told through art, this "wordless story" will surely spark imagination and creativity.

Wonder Bear


Tao Nyeu - 2008
    On his head is a top hat, a hat that allows him to work all kinds of magic that day. He pulls monkey after monkey from the hat, blows bubbles in amazing shapes, and transforms flowers into spectacular floating sea creatures. This is a wordless book with bright, bold illustrations.

Owl Bat Bat Owl


Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick - 2017
    A mother owl and her three little owlets live happily on their branch. That is, until the bat family moves in. The newfound neighbors (owls up top, bats hanging below) can t help but feel a little wary of one another. But babies are curious little creatures, and that curiosity, along with a wild, stormy night, might just bring these two families together. With subtly and hilariously shifting facial expressions and gestures, Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick brings her accessible graphic style to a warm and ingenious wordless tale that is sure to bring smiles to readers of all ages."

Rainstorm


Barbara Lehman - 2007
    But if you find a key, a mysterious key, that leads you to an unexpected place . . . chances are your afternoon is about to get a lot more interesting.