Flotsam

A. Bibliographic Data:
Flotsam, by David Wiesner, published by Clarion Books in 2006; ISBN 0-618-19457-6

B. Plot Summary:
This wordless book tells the story of a boy spending a day at the beach when he discovers an old-fashioned (looking) underwater camera. He develops the photos to learn about an underwater world beyond his imagining and see photos of all the children who have found the camera before him. He adds his photo and throws the camera back into the water, and another little girl finds it as the book ends, continuing the cycle.

C. Critical Analysis:
In Flotsam, David Wiesner brings readers on a journey through an amazing underwater world by sharing a little boy's discovery of a camera on the beach. He is able to communicate the wonder and excitement the boy feels as he explores this surreal world through the photographs he has developed. Wiesner uses a layout similar to panels in graphic novels or comics to depict the passage of time as the boy makes discoveries on the beach and waits for his photographs to be developed. His creative illustrations draw the reader into a fantastic world under the sea, encouraging readers' imaginations as he shows off his own. Wiesner does an excellent job showing the age of the photographs, using color tones and hair and clothing styles to demonstrate the period of history in which each child lived. The aesthetically pleasing, creative and precise illustrations make this a truly wonderful example of a children's picture book, and one that can be shared by the whole family.

D. Review Excerpts:
~ "Shifting perspectives, from close-ups to landscape views, and a layout incorporating broad spreads and boxed sequences, add drama and motion to the storytelling and echo the photographic theme. Filled with inventive details and delightful twists, each snapshot is a tale waiting to be told." -Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal
~ ". . . Wiesner offers another exceptional, wordless picture book that finds wild magic in quiet, everyday settings. . . . When closely observed, however, the masterful watercolors and ingeniously layered perspectives create a clear narrative, and viewers will eagerly fill in the story's wordless spaces with their own imagined story lines. 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." -Gillian Engberg, Booklist

E. Connections
~ Have students create pictures of what else they imagine might be happening underwater.
~ Have students write words to go along with the pictures.
~ Related books: other titles by David Wiesner, titles by Chris Van Allsburg
~ Explore other wordless books to compare methods and styles.