Former Bassingbourn teacher Samantha Findlater has created a book which she hopes will address the decline in reading for pleasure.
In honour of World Book Day, Sam, who is a graduate of Cambridge School of Art and has an MA in children's illustration, is publishing a book with no words, which is targeted at older readers.
'Lost' - published by Chapeltown Books - hopes to engage 'lost' readers and encourage other publishers to creatively address this reading drought.
The book tells the story of an old woman who loses her dog at a busy train station in London, and the homeless man who finds him.
Sam created 'Lost' in 2017, when she was still a teacher, along with other short stories with no words.
She said: "I know that sounds a bit counter-intuitive, but to get young people reading I believed it was important to have texts which gets past these known barriers.
"The saying goes: a picture tells a thousand words, and so in 32 pages cover to cover we can create rich and complex texts which are not only accessible to all sighted readers, but can be completed in a relatively short space of time."
While wordless books have been around for decades, they are mostly used as reading tools for younger audiences - an exception being the work of Shaun Tan, whose books are long and still require the attention of a seasoned reader.
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"A wordless book at the right length with the right subject matter is an excellent way to reach those older children who prefer their gadgets," Sam said.
"A traditional book is comparatively much slower than screen-based entertainment. In 15 minutes the average regular reader can silently read 12 pages of a novel.
"Compared to what those brains will have been stimulated by in the equivalent screen time, not much may happen in terms of plot and action. So it's no wonder those children who use their screens daily find traditional books boring."
'Lost' is available online from Amazon, Waterstones, Foyles and Tesco from Friday, March 10.
For more information visit www.samanthafindlater.com.
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