
By Lene Ask
You is about arriving a new place where the woods smell different and the birds sing songs that you do not know. Even the sun is cooler than at home. But you cannot go home,…
You is about arriving a new place where the woods smell different and the birds sing songs that you do not know. Even the sun is cooler than at home. But you cannot go home, because what used to be your home does not exist anymore. Who are you when almost nobody knows your language nor your name?
In 2016 we are adding a new genre to the book palette! WORD-FREE books. These are books that can be read by proficient and poor readers alike, but that give those less proficient in the 6-9 target group that special feeling of finally having read a whole book. On their own!
The word-free books do not contain a single word, but are read by following the illustrations, discovering details, patterns, feelings, action – solely by concentrating on the visual aspect. A skill our youngest readers often possess.
The word-free books aim for the target group that ought to be able to read, but needs a reading experience that motivates and inspires them – and does not exclude them from the literary universe. Of course it’s possible to read a whole book without having the traditional understanding of reading completely under one’s belt!
To tell a story without using words is an extremely demanding exercise. We have therefore asked some of the best visual story-tellers in Norway to do it.