FLOTSAM by David Wiesner Book Review

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wiesner, David. 2006. FLOTSAM. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618194576

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

In this wordless picture book, David Wiesner invites the reader to spend the day with a young boy at the beach. The boy begins the day examining typical flotsam (beach debris) such as a hermit crab when a giant wave grabs him and tosses him about. After recovering, he realizes an old Melville underwater camera has been washed ashore. Upon close examination of the camera, he discovers it has an undeveloped roll of film. Immediately, he takes it to the one hour photo shop and is amazed at what he unveils. The pictures show the underwater life we never knew existed. He was astonished when he took a closer look at the final picture and realized the generations of children across the world that have also made the same discovery. Therefore, the young boy decided to photograph himself to add to the legacy. It ends with a young girl on the other side of the world starting the whole process over again.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Wiesner’s choice of a wordless book challenges the reader to create their own text. By the lack of text, the story is open to endless interpretations. No matter the age of the audience, the reader is given the opportunity to interpret the story as simplistic or complex as needed. Readers of all ages can relate to making interesting discoveries whether at a beach or somewhere else.

David Wiesner’s use of watercolor brings certain realism into the page. Due to the sequence of illustrations, the reader is able to use these picture cues to help develop the minute details of the story. Wiesner’s choice of color invites the reader into his dreamlike world where they can be free to explore within their own imagination. The choice of black and white illustrations helps the reader to indentify with the time lapse that has taken place throughout the generations of children. The various nationalities present in the book allow the audience to relate to the characters, no matter their background.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2007 Caldecott Medal Book

Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Filled with inventive details and delightful twists, each snapshot is a tale waiting to be told.”

Starred review in Kirkus Reviews: "In Wiesner's much-honored style, the paintings are cinematic, coolly restrained and deliberate...An invitation not to be resisted."

5. CONNECTIONS

* Gather multiple copies of the book. Put children into groups, giving each group a copy of the book. Have children work cooperatively in their groups to tell the story. Teacher acts as monitor only, not a participant in order to see what the students will say on their own.

*Use this story as a springboard for writer’s workshop. After the teacher reads the story to the class, brainstorm any flotsam (beach debris) students have found. If they have not been to a beach, the lesson could be modified to include anything found anywhere. Students can then use their own story or borrow a friend’s story to use as a writer’s workshop topic.

*Gather and read other wordless picture books written by David Wiesner such as:

FREE FALL. ISBN 0061567418

SECTOR 7. ISBN 0395746566