Wiesner, David. 2006. FLOTSAM. Ill. by David Wiesner. New York: Clarion Books.
ISBN: 978-0-618-19457-5
PLOT SUMMARY
Two-time Caldecott winner David Wiesner dives into mysterious worlds and enticingly invites his reader to follow the action in his wordless picture book FLOTSAM. The protagonist is spending the day at the beach where, through his magnifying lenses, he can see things more clearly. The boy is thoroughly prepared for an adventure and he encounters one beyond his wildest expectations. As he combs the beach for debris washed ashore, he is literally swept off his feet and finds the aptly named “Melville’s Underwater Camera” encrusted with barnacles. He rushes to town and, at the one-hour photo store, impatiently waits for what develops. The photographs reveal amazing worlds beneath the sea where mechanical fish swim in schools and men from outer space visit as tourists. The final photograph reveals the most stunning revelation-- a young girl at the beach holding a photograph and so on and so on. Through the lens of his microscope the young explorer views all the others, to the final Victorian-era boy in knickers and cap, who have made the same discovery. In the final episode, the boy takes his own picture and hurls the camera back into the ocean where finds its way to another curious beach comber.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
David’s Wiesner wordless picture book, FLOTSAM, mesmerizes the reader from cover to cover. The fisheye centered on the dust jacket hints at the theme—seeing the world through a magnifying lens changes everything. The exquisite detail in Wiesner’s watercolor images encourage the reader to turn the pages slowly taking in every nuance. As the story begins, the colors reflect the cool watery tones of a day at the beach and the bright, vibrancy of the underwater scenes provide a vivid contrast. The reader completely surrenders to the magic as the perspective changes from extreme close-ups to landscapes. The details of the book challenge readers of all ages to discover the “secret” of the camera. Young readers (and some adults) may have questions sure to generate plenty of discussion. FLOTSAM is a work-of-art destined to become a classic.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Caldecott Medal (Won Award) 2007
Review from BOOKLIST, August 1, 2006
…this visual wonder invites us to rethink how and what we see, out in the world and in our mind's eye. -Gillian Engberg
Review from SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, September 1, 2006
... This wordless book's vivid watercolor paintings have a crisp realism that anchors the elements of fantasy.- Joy Fleishhacker
Review from PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, July 24, 2006
New details swim into focus with every rereading of this immensely satisfying excursion.
CONNECTIONS
Purchase a disposable camera and allow students to take it home to take a photograph. Discuss the term “close-up” and carefully examine the close-up in the book. The instructions could be to take one close-up photograph. Then, develop the pictures and the students can discuss the outcome.
For older students a webquest:
http://www.njcenterforthebook.org/misc/flotsam/webquest.html
If you can take your students on a field trip, this is a great activity:
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