Picture Books: FLOTSAM

Bibliography


Wiesner, David. 2006. Flotsam. Ill. by David Wiesner. New York, NY: Clarion. ISBN-13:978-0-618-19457-5. ISBN-10:0-618-19457-6.



Plot Summary



Flotsam, a wordless picture book, chronicles a boy's day at the shore with his family. A wave brings up an antique camera, which, when the film is successfully developed, reveals magical underwater worlds. The boy also discovers that the camera has passed through the hands of many children in its travels. He decides to become part of the camera's history and adds snapshot of himself holding a picture of all the previous participants before returning the camera to the ocean. Readers then follow the camera's next voyage to another child playing on a different beach.




Critical Analysis

Davis Weisner's detailed and exquisite watercolor pictures in Flotsam create a complete and intriguing story without the use of one word. In fact, words would detract from the concentration one needs to give his illustrations. From page to page, the vantage point and scale change contributing to the progression of the plot. For example, some pages contain a single traditional drawing, but other have a series of frames rather like a comic. The illustrations convey much about the protagonist. The first page features a large crab in front of an eye. When you turn the page, you realize the crab is tiny and the eye belongs to an observant boy. Looking further, you see that instead of the usual surfboard or water toys, he brings a collection box and microscope. Weisner also employs a subtle humor in his work, such as an octopus family enjoying the contents of a submerged moving van.

I was rather amazed that my young daughter, at this point my only test subject, showed such interest in the book. It was impossible to flip through the pages and not add narrative as we went along. Soon she was adding to our story by describing the elements she found engaging.

Review Excerpts


Caldecott Medal Winner 2007
Starred Review in Booklist: "Like Chris Van Allsburg's books and Wiesner's previous works, this visual wonder invites us to rethink how and what we see, out in the world and in our mind's eye."

Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices: "David Wiesner once again lets the pictures tell the story—this time literally—in another masterful wordless picture book that will send readers’ imaginations soaring."


Connections

More wordless picture books: http://nancykeane.com/rl/317.htm , http://collaboratory.nunet.net/nssd112/oakterrace/imc/wordless.html, http://www.rif.org/educators/books/Picture-Books.mspx

Groups of students could write stories based on the illustrations, either a narrative of Weisner's work, or an imaginative story inspired by one of his fanciful drawings. ESL students would benefit from creating an oral narrative.

Students can predict what would happen in the next installment of the story. What will the next child do? What will she see? These predictions could be illustrations, text, or a published combination.