Tuesday by David Wiesner: A Case Study on the Importance of Illustrations

Can a book with almost no words teach your child to read better? Surprisingly, yes. Tuesday by David Wiesner - a wordless picture book about flying frogs - is more than just a quirky story. It's a powerful tool for developing comprehension, sequencing, and visual literacy skills that form the foundation for strong reading. Here's why this Caldecott Medal winner belongs on every child's bookshelf, and what parents can learn from how it was created.

At Kutubooku, we often tell parents that a good children’s book is not just entertainment — it’s a carefully designed tool for learning. But what does that really mean?

This case study looks closely at David Wiesner’s Tuesday (1991), a beautifully illustrated wordless picture book where frogs float through town on lily pads. This is a perfect example of Wiesner's unique artistic style and storytelling approach, renowned for original, detailed watercolor artwork and immersive, wordless narratives. Wiesner’s surrealistic illustrations, innovative use of color and perspective, and his distinguished status as a leader in wordless storytelling set his work apart as a benchmark for creative, image-based narratives. At first glance, it’s whimsical nonsense. But under the surface, it’s a masterclass in how illustrations, silence, and imagination build comprehension.

By unpacking Wiesner’s process, we intend to demonstrate why great books take great craft — and why choosing the right ones for your child makes all the difference.

Who Is David Wiesner? The Master of Wordless Picture Books

• Background: American illustrator, born 1956, known for his surreal, wordless picture books.

• Style: Begins with images, not words. Inspired by comics, films, and visual storytelling. Wiesner’s distinctive approach features masterful wordless storytelling and surreal, detailed illustrations.

• Belief: Children are sharp observers. They don’t need everything explained — they need space to imagine.

• Awards: Winner of three Caldecott Medals, one of the most respected names in children’s literature. The Caldecott Medals are among the most prestigious awards in children’s literature, recognizing excellence in illustration. Wiesner books are celebrated for their imaginative visual narratives.

  
  

David Wiesner didn’t grow up writing stories in notebooks — he grew up drawing them. As a boy in New Jersey in the 1960s, he was captivated by comics and silent films. He loved how entire worlds could be carried by pictures alone, without a single sentence.

That instinct never left him. Even as an adult, Wiesner began every project with a picture in his head — not a paragraph. He would sketch a scene, then ask himself two questions:

“What happens before this?”

“What happens after?”

It was his way of stitching a narrative out of still images. Children, he realized, think in the same way: they flip through a picture book and instinctively fill in the missing pieces.

How David Wiesner Created Tuesday

The spark for Tuesday came from a simple, almost absurd image that popped into Wiesner’s mind: frogs flying through the night sky on lily pads.

• Stage 1: Sketching the Scene - He first drew a single frog in flight — then kept sketching, expanding the world. Soon the frogs were gliding past windows, startling laundry, even confronting pets.

• Stage 2: Sequencing the Story - Wiesner arranged these sketches like film stills, building momentum page by page. He thought like a director: wide shots to set the scene, close-ups for humor, dramatic lighting for suspense.

• Stage 3: Choosing Silence - When he tried adding words, they felt unnecessary. The pictures carried everything — humor, mood, narrative. Wiesner decided to leave the story almost wordless, trusting children to supply the text.

• Stage 4: Painting the Atmosphere - He chose watercolor and gouache to create deep night skies, fog, and moonlight. The art had to feel both magical and believable — surreal, but grounded in the ordinary.

  
  

The result was not just a whimsical story but a carefully constructed narrative experiment: a book where illustrations alone did the heavy lifting of comprehension.

The Thought Process Behind Tuesday

Wiesner starts with a mental image — frogs flying — and asks what happens before and after. The result is not just a sequence of drawings, but a meticulously imagined and slightly surrealistic narrative where the magical events unfold on a Tuesday evening, setting a mysterious and whimsical tone for the story:

• Light and shadow set mood (mysterious, magical, humorous) and contribute to the mystery of the story.

• Tiny details reward children’s close observation (a cat watching, startled laundry).

• Silence invites children to co-author the story.

• Only time stamps guide the reader, and each point in time highlights key events—like frogs flying on lily pads—contributing to the whimsical and mysterious atmosphere of this recurring Tuesday night adventure.

  
  

This reflects his deep understanding of how children learn: they notice details, enjoy absurdity, and build meaning visually long before decoding words. Wiesner’s illustrations bring each scene to life.

Wiesner’s process also shows how much thought goes into a book like Tuesday. Parents may see a 32-page story with a handful of words, but behind it lies weeks of sketching, sequencing, and deliberate decisions about how a child will “read” the images.

That’s why Wiesner has won the Caldecott Medal three times — because his books are not accidents. They are crafted with a deep understanding of how children learn.

For parents, understanding Wiesner’s journey matters because it shows that books like Tuesday are not accidental delights. They are the result of decades of artistic exploration, a belief in children’s visual literacy, and the conviction that sometimes the best way to tell a story is to say nothing at all.

About the Book: Tuesday (1991)

‘Tuesday’ was published by Clarion Books in 1991. The book is dedicated to Tom Sgouros, as acknowledged in the dedication section.

• Premise: On Tuesdays, frogs take flight on lily pads and explore a suburban town, with the adventure hinting it may continue on the next Tuesday.

• Format: Almost wordless — only time stamps guide the reader. The story begins on a Tuesday night, with only time stamps marking key points in the narrative.

• Effect: Children invent their own dialogue, retell the story differently each time. The whole story is told through illustrations, allowing for multiple interpretations.

• Impact: Won the Caldecott Medal (1992) and became a benchmark for wordless picture books.

  
  

A review praises the book’s visual storytelling and imaginative narrative.

5 Reading Skills Your Child Develops with Wordless Books

Skill	How the Book Teaches It	Example from Tuesday
Sequencing	Children describe what happens first, next, last, and how the characters (frogs and others) move through the story	Frogs take off → glide past houses → interact with other characters → crash-land in morning
Cause & Effect	Actions have consequences	Frogs startle a dog → dog barks → chaos spreads
Inference	Pictures communicate emotions	Old lady’s shocked face = surprise without words
Imagination	Children build “what if” scenarios and follow the frogs' adventure	If frogs can fly, what else might?

This is comprehension in action — no worksheets required.

Wordless storytelling in Tuesday encourages readers, especially young readers, to create their own stories as they interpret the illustrations. The book's free fall narrative style appeals to a wide range of ages and makes it a valuable resource in the classroom.

Why Parents Should Look Closer

Parents often ask: Why buy a book with barely any words?

Here’s why:

• Wordless doesn’t mean empty. It’s pedagogy — giving space for children to narrate, while lively and engaging illustrations draw them into the story.

• Humor builds memory. Silly frogs make lessons stick.

• Details spark observation. Kids spot what adults miss, boosting confidence.

  
  

Books like Tuesday remind us that good children’s literature is carefully engineered for learning, with Wiesner's art earning recognition around the world.

Lessons for Parents

1. Look beyond the cover. A “simple” book may hide deep learning opportunities.

2. Engage with silence. Let children narrate — they learn by co-creating.

3. Value illustrations. They are not decoration but comprehension tools. Examine each page for details that add to the story.

4. Trust the absurd. Playful nonsense builds flexible thinking and creativity. Look for the pond and house scenes as examples of imaginative settings.

   
   

The Kutubooku Lens

At Kutubooku, we choose books the way Wiesner creates them: with care, intention, and a deep respect for how children think.

We don’t just ask, “Is this book fun?” We ask, “What skills, emotions, and habits does this book nurture?”

Just as Tuesday uses frogs on lily pads to teach sequencing, observation, and imagination, we seek books that go beyond the obvious — because your child deserves more than filler.

Wiesner's imaginative storytelling shines in works like The Three Pigs, where pigs break free from their story and even encounter flying pigs, adding whimsical and creative twists that spark curiosity and laughter.

Key Takeaways

• Tuesday shows that pictures can carry as much weight as words, with the frog as the central figure in the story.

• Wiesner's illustrations often invite the person viewing the book to engage with the story, interpreting the narrative through visual cues in the absence of words.

• Wordless books invite children to become storytellers, inspiring them to create their own stories.

• Comprehension begins with images, long before text.

• Humor and detail are not extras — they are learning tools.

• Good books are crafted with intention; good parenting choices require seeing that craft.

FAQs for Parents

1. Can a wordless book really improve reading?

Yes — it strengthens comprehension, sequencing, and vocabulary through narration.

2. How can I make the most of it?

Pause on each page. Ask questions like “What do you see?” or “What happens next?” Encourage multiple versions.

3. Will this bore older children?

Not at all. The book appeals to children of all ages. Older kids invent complex plots, even dialogue — it grows with them.

4. Why not just show cartoons instead?

Because picture books leave space for imagination. Screens fill everything in; books let children build.

5. My child “reads” the pictures instead of the words — is that learning?

Yes. This is emergent literacy. Narrating from pictures builds comprehension and storytelling skills.

6. Aren’t wordless books too simple?

On the contrary, they demand more from children. Your child becomes the storyteller, not just a listener.

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