1. Bibliography: Wiesner, David. 2006. Flotsam. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0-618-19457-6. 2. Plot Summary: In this enchanting picture book by author and illustrator David Wiesner, a day at the beach turns into a surprising discovery for a curious boy. Searching for flotsam along a shoreline, a young beachcomber finds an old underwater camera. After unsuccessfully searching for its owner, the boy has the camera's film developed and uncovers its adventurous past. Realizing that he now plays a role in this camera's adventures, the boy returns the camera to the sea to share its wonders with the next discoverer.
3. Critical Analysis: Two-time Caldecott Medal winner David Wiesner demonstrates his depth of artistry through vibrant watercolors in Flotsam. Despite the absence of words, Wiesner's illustrations provide the reader a clear storyline of the camera's discovery and the anticipation of what it holds; yet intricately detailed illustrations of mechanical fish, underwater cities, and mermaid communities lead the reader to wonder whether these images are actual photographs or figments of the young boy's imagination.
Recurring throughout Flotsam, is the theme of optical discovery. From examinations of a crab through a magnifying lens, to the perceptions of the naked eye, to an in-depth look at a picture through a microscope, Wiesner entices the reader to unlock the potential of discovery. The final resolution uncovers a lineage of history displayed through a series of pictures within pictures depicting past finders of the flotsam camera dating back decades. With each re-read unveiling new details, young and older readers alike will relish in the colorful and realistic illustrations of David Wiesner's Flotsam and the wonders it reveals.
4. Review Excerpts:
- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "It's no surprise that this fantastic title from wordless book master Wiesner just won a Caldecott–readers will pore over every page looking for those details that are hard to catch the first time through! In this lusciously illustrated story, a beachcombing boy finds an underwater camera washed up on the shore and, when the film is developed, the images reveal amazing secrets from the deep."
- KIRKUS REVIEWS: "In Wiesner's much-honored style, the paintings are cinematic, coolly restrained and deliberate, beguiling in their sibylline images and limned with symbolic allusions. An invitation not to be resisted."
- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: "Masterfully altering the pace with panel sequences and full-bleed spreads, he fills every inch of the pages with intricate, imaginative watercolor details. New details swim into focus with every rereading of this immensely satisfying excursion."
5. Connections:
- Read other books by David Wiesner, such as Tuesday and The Three Pigs. Compare and contrast the books by content and illustrations.
- Talk about the Caldecott Medal seal on the cover of the book and how these are awarded. Go on a Caldecott Medal scavenger hunt in the library and have children share their favorite Caldecott discovery.
- Have children bring in their own favorite photographs and talk about what is happening in the picture.
- Children can create their own underwater adventure scene using watercolors as in the story.
