Viewfinder is a rare beautiful story full of life and love and light but has absolutely no written words. It's storytelling at it's finest. There are literal panels I wish I could own as posters for my walls. In Viewfinder we have a space traveler visiting an abandoned Earth in the future. She still finds beauty and wonder and the extraordinary ordinary that we in the present take for granted everyday. I know it is aimed at a younger audience but I think any age can enjoy and benefit from reading it to remind ourselves to stop and smell the roses and maybe pet a cat or two. Viewfinder belongs in any and all libraries.

*Thank you to Tundra Books for providing me with a review copy.*

Eye-opening yet hopeful.

“A young space traveller visits Earth on a whim and finds a planet empty of people. She happens upon a strange contraption that contains images of what the planet used to be like, and using this viewfinder, she sees Earth as it was, juxtaposed against Earth as it is abandoned, but still full of amazing things.”

This wordless graphic novel opens the reader’s eyes to a beautiful Earth devoid of humankind yet full of life. There is a stillness to this book that plants a seed of hope in our hearts. Although we see what happened to humans through the viewfinder, we feel at ease that the decisions made were beneficial for both people and the planet. Both survive and flourish on their own. This is a post-apocalyptic story that feels comforting and doesn’t want to scare us for once.

A very welcome approach to imagining future life on Earth and maybe elsewhere. I bet you will be just as enchanted as me.

This was a lovely and thoughtful wordless graphic novel. As with other wordless books, the reader will need to pay more attention to the flow of each panel, but the illustrations are clear and vividly colored. I would recommend this to people who want a cozy and calming read.

I love wordless picture books! This was more first time to encounter a completely wordless graphic novel. I had my boys "read" it as well. We all really enjoyed it. It was fun to find myself thinking the story in my head without being told what words to think. There were so many reading skills that are practiced here like inferencing, story connections, predictions, problem/resolution, etc. I also thought it was fun that (I felt) there were opportunities for different interpretations of parts of the story. This book could be used for enjoyment by so many regardless of reading level. I also see it as a great tool to work with those who have different language background or limited reading skills.

While this tale may have no words, the pictures speak thousands. It's the perfect book to sit and flip through to allow the reader to paint the story in their minds. It follows a main character through a seemingly forgotten land, showcasing the old world and current as they view it within the story. Even without the words the point of the main character being a space traveller and their endless curiousties about what they find around them on a seemingly abandoned earth is easily understood. The story is left entirely open ended and up to the reader to interpret. In a way this is a wonderful thing for stimulating young and old minds alike to think of the endless possibilities that the story's images leave available to them. It also allows them to think on complex topics like being lost, what could end the world around us if we aren't careful, and traveling far from home.
From another point of view, due to it's lack of words, it is lacking in complex wording and there are so many questions left unanswered.
The questions and interpretations of this book are what make it so extrodinary, however even I did find something within them to bother me and bother potentional readers. That one thing was the ending whereas it seemed to be that the author/artist paved the way to two more possible stories but left off without delving further towards either of them. This may be entirely intentional to keep the reader thinking about the story and various different possibilities. If so, it was done abruptly but also very well.

This wordless graphic novel offers a unique and engaging experience, inviting readers to interpret the narrative through its stunning visuals. It subtly nudges toward themes of stewardship, leaving readers with a renewed sense of wonder for our extraordinary planet.

Hmm I’m not sure what to make of Viewfinder. I felt out of my element with this one, as it’s the first time I’ve ever read a graphic novel with no words. I enjoyed the illustrations and overall thought they were great, but I missed some words or thought bubbles and felt the story would have been stronger with them.

Thanks NetGalley, and the authors for the arc to read. My thoughts are my own.

This wordless graphic novel made the discovery of the space adventure to a post-apocalyptic Earth intriguing with its beautiful illustrations. I kept thinking there was going be a big reveal near the end, but it wrapped itself up in a quieter way. I think this hopeful sweet book will appeal to young readers looking for something different and approachable. Thanks to NetGalley for making this available for an honest review.

Great graphic novel for younger children students and teacher's alike will enjoy learning about soace.

Viewfinder follows a young explorer comes to Earth and finds what was left behind. Or not fully left behind.

This was cleverly done, I thought that the lack of text added to the peacefulness and quiet setting. The illustrations are cute and fun and complimented the adventurous story.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

This gorgeous wordless graphic novel follows a young explorer on their journey through space. When they arrive on a futuristic earth, they find an old time capsule containing a viewfinder which offers a peek into the past. There are boundless opportunities for discussion about conservation, technology, exploration and communication within this text. An excellent accessible graphic novel for all ages.

I love that the author and illustrator were able to tell this story without words; this makes the story more interesting as parents and children will be able to create the story themselves.

This would be a great book for kindergarten classes; I think the children and their teacher would have a hoot creating the back story for this intrepid explorer.

This book is gorgeous. And even without words, the story is perfectly told. We understand how the planet came to be the way it is and where our main character most likely came from because of that. My personal fave is getting into the natural history museum, because it is still fascinating to see our history and the main characters feelings about it. And the ending was beautiful.

Lovely illustrations tell the story in this wordless graphic novel. It's a little unclear what happened to the Earth, but some kind of glowing fungus on plants and animals caused humans to leave the planet.

Viewfinder is an incredibly beautiful book. While it is wordless, it still manages to provide an emotional impact with its visuals. There is this sadness of the lost world yet and underlying sense of hope and adventure at its core. I loved the use of the timecapsle as well as the nods to other beloved childrens books.

*Received through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.*

This stunning, spectacular wordless graphic novel is a clever tribute championing the care of the world. A sweet adventure that can be shared for any age group, but especially those in the elementary/primary age group. The soft hues on the pages hone in and play with light that draws your attention through the scenes. Highly recommend and look forward to seeing it on shelves.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguine Random House (Canada) for sponsoring this ARC for an honest review.

Viewfinder is a gorgeously illustrated, wordless story that is reminiscent of Shaun Tan, and follows a child astronaut exploring an abandoned Earth. While exploring, she discovers an old time capsule holding a viewfinder with photographs of what Earth used to be like when it was filled with people. The glowing mushrooms are intriguing as well as beautiful, and the story can be used to inform children about finding wonder in Earth's beauty as well as encouraging them to take care of the environment. The heart of this story is what Pixar movies are made from, and those old and young can find something to enjoy about this story and its art.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

Through illustrated narrative, Christine D.U. Chung and Salwa Majoka’s Viewfinder tells of a young space traveler, her discovery of a time capsule, and the adventure it leads on Earth.

While younger readers were initially confused by the technology (both old and new), the novel provided an exceptional opportunities for discussion of the world as it stands, what it once was, and where it might develop. Older readers looked on fondly with hearts bent toward nostalgia. Meanwhile, somewhere around the age that deems themselves too old for picture books and too young for memories, there was a quiet in posture that matched the page. Through their collaborative efforts, the authors have found a way to inspire both action and tranquility; provide wonder and peace.

With artwork that illuminates the future and sheds a light on the past, Viewfinder deserves a place beside the likes of former Caldecott winners Jumanji and Flotsam.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Tundra Books for a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

ARC Copy...Beautiful and wordless. I love how the colour palette outlines whose POV the reader is looking out from (colours for the future traveler while sepia tones for the "past kid" the traveler is following along side), and important theme on taking care of nature + the world. Liked an old fashion view finding toy is a key narrative point too.

A young space traveler discovers Earth of the future and finds an old Viewfinder in a time capsule. The traveler uses the Viewfinder to explore Earth as it was in the past, while exploring how it currently is in the present.

The artwork is absolutely breathtaking as the traveler sees the past in black and white and the present in color. Reading this story makes me want to explore more of Earth while I'm still here to explore it!

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the eARC!