Flotsam
by David Wiesner
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Read in February, 2007
Flotsam begins with a full-page shot of a sand beetle. When the reader looks closer, you can see a large human eye in the background. The next page reveals a young boy looking at the sand beetle under a microscope, as well as other creatures he finds on the beach. He then notices a camera washed up on shore, and finding film inside it, takes it to the local photo shop to be developed. The photos amaze him; there is a family of octopuses reading in a living room, fish in a blowfish hot air ba...more
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Read in July, 2007
This is a stunning example of a wordless picture book. Wiesner's illustrations tell a story that is whimsical but also scientific, with pictures of sea creatures in fantasy settings. After finding an old-fashioned camera that has washed up on shore, the protagonist develops the film and finds an eye-popping history that leads back nearly a century. The photographs give a never-before-seen glimpse of alien vacations with seahorses, wind-up fish, and sea-shell cities being carried on the backs ...more
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
every young child & everyone in their lives
Superb book that even the youngest book listener will be able to read on their own, as it’s told almost entirely in pictures: but so much more fun for adults or older kids to read it with them. A great fantasy story for kids, but there’s also a lot of science thrown in and objects to talk about and explain. And it communicates a lovely message about sharing & giving. Gorgeous pictures. And there’s a great photo of the author as a 5 year old at the seashore on the back inside cover with...more
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This marvelous book tells a dreamy story in pictures of a child who finds a camera at the shore, gets the film inside developed, and discovers photographs of a spectacular hidden world under the sea. Plus, a photograph of the last child to find the camera, holding a photograph of the child before her, who is holding a photograph of the child before her, and so on, all the way back to the beginning of photography.
Although there are no words to read, the storytelling is sophisticated, so youn...more
Although there are no words to read, the storytelling is sophisticated, so youn...more
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Read in April, 2008
recommended to Grace by:
2008 Grand Canyon Readers Award nommineerecommends it for: parents to share with their kids
A book with no words. A young boy finds an underwater camera and develops a picture of a windup fish and matching real fish. I have been reading this with 2nd - 4th grade classes. We have the gamut from underwater robot factories to a camera that is disguised as a fish so it can get pics of other fish without scaring them. Each page students are asked to come up with different sentences to write the story themselves. Each time we stop they cry for more. I can't wait for more either. I jus...more
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Read in April, 2008
recommends it for:
anyone who likes to tell a story using their own words, visual thinkers
This book and David Wiesner's Sector 7 are incredibly inventive stories that are told entirely by picture. The illustrations are amazing.
In Flotsam, a boy's trip to the beach takes a sudden and surprising turn when an old -- and I mean old -- waterproof camera washes up on the beach. After searching for the owner without success, the boy has the film developed at a one hour photo place. T...more
In Flotsam, a boy's trip to the beach takes a sudden and surprising turn when an old -- and I mean old -- waterproof camera washes up on the beach. After searching for the owner without success, the boy has the film developed at a one hour photo place. T...more
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Read in August, 2008
All knids of things wash up on the beach and one inquisitive little boy is out to find all the interesting things he can. He never expects to find the amazing discovery of a waterproof camera; but he does and immediately runs off to develop the photos. What he finds in the pictures is even more spectacular than he could imagine.
I'm usually not a huge fan of wordless picture books, but this is a definite exception. The attention to detail is outstanding and the story is so clearly laid out th...more
I'm usually not a huge fan of wordless picture books, but this is a definite exception. The attention to detail is outstanding and the story is so clearly laid out th...more
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Read in May, 2008
Weird, wonderful, and wordless. Wiesner shows us the story of a boy who finds an old camera, and when he develops it, finds photographs of worlds unknown to us. From octopus family story time to island-backed giant starfish, the pictures are beautiful and intriguing. There is also a picture of a picture, about eleven times, of children who have found the camera. They are at different locations in place and time. Our character follows suit, photographing himself holding the picture. A wave washes...more
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Read in April, 2008
recommends it for:
parents of small children, adventurers
One of the great things about being a dad is I get to read all sorts of great books I wouldn't otherwise encounter. This one is in a class by itself. I found "Flotsam" to be several cuts above even the best children's books out there, mainly because I've been the boy in the book.
More importantly, I'm STILL the boy in that book. Every day of my life brings new and fantastic adventure. His experience with the waterproof camera and the discoveries he makes were...wonderous.
No oth...more
More importantly, I'm STILL the boy in that book. Every day of my life brings new and fantastic adventure. His experience with the waterproof camera and the discoveries he makes were...wonderous.
No oth...more
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Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
Grades all ages
Illustrated by David Wiesner, published by Clarion Books, copyright year 2006.
Summary: A wordless story about how an old camera passes through the hands of children all over the world and in different times by being washed ashore.
Response: I loved this “story”. The illustrations were so vivid and it told such a cool story that children of any age would be intrigued by. The way Wiesner shows in each picture a tunnel of the previous pictures is brilliant yet simple.
Possible ...more
Summary: A wordless story about how an old camera passes through the hands of children all over the world and in different times by being washed ashore.
Response: I loved this “story”. The illustrations were so vivid and it told such a cool story that children of any age would be intrigued by. The way Wiesner shows in each picture a tunnel of the previous pictures is brilliant yet simple.
Possible ...more
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Read in April, 2008
You never know what the tide will bring in. This popular saying is celebrated in the 2007 Caldecott winner, Flotsam, referring to the bits and pieces washed up on the shore from the ocean. A young boy is playing on the beach when he finds an old camera washed up from the sea. When he develops the film inside the camera, he is treated to a different world of experiences and a few surprises. With pictures done in soft watercolor, there is no text to follow, allowing the reader to make up his or he...more
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This wordless, beautiful book is about a young boy who finds an old camera washed up on the shore. He discovers a roll of film left in the camera and decides to have the pictures developed. I won't tell you what he sees in the pictures, but I love the images and his final response to them. This is the first book of his that I read, but it made me a life-time fan. Be sure that I'll be buying this book for years to come for my friends as they have children of their own.
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Read in April, 2008
recommends it for:
preK - 2nd
Having a gigantic black eye on your cover surrounded by bright red color on the cover, Flotsam, from the beginning, is appealing to look at. Even though there are no words, Weisner’s adept use of different kinds of frames move the story along perfectly. The clever use of different zoom sizes for images along with the fantastical underwater images are clever and imaginative. This is a great book for preschoolers thru second graders.
Received a starred review in Booklist Publishers Week...more
Received a starred review in Booklist Publishers Week...more
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Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
ANYONE
Flotsam reigns supreme as the 2007 Caldecott Medal winner. I just "read" this wordless picture book twice last night at the bookstore while we were there with good friends. It's incredible! Superb! Absolutely worthy of the Caldecott Medal!
“Telling tales through imagery is what storytellers have done through the ages. Wiesner’s wordless tale resonates with visual images that tell his story with clever wit and lively humor,” said Caldecott Medal Committee Chair Janice Del
“Telling tales through imagery is what storytellers have done through the ages. Wiesner’s wordless tale resonates with visual images that tell his story with clever wit and lively humor,” said Caldecott Medal Committee Chair Janice Del
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Jessilynn:
Anyone who has ever laid on a dock or on a beach, daydreaming about what magical worlds could be hiding beneath the waves, will love this book. A camera washes up on a beach, and the boy who finds the camera develops the film inside. He discovers some mysterious and enchanting things about deep waters.
I read it three times the first week that it arrived in the store and, every time I read it, I see something new in the incredible illustrations.
Wow.
Anyone who has ever laid on a dock or on a beach, daydreaming about what magical worlds could be hiding beneath the waves, will love this book. A camera washes up on a beach, and the boy who finds the camera develops the film inside. He discovers some mysterious and enchanting things about deep waters.
I read it three times the first week that it arrived in the store and, every time I read it, I see something new in the incredible illustrations.
Wow.
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Read in June, 2008
Published 2006. This was an interesting book. There were no words so it is left to the readers imagination to bring the pictures to life. It is a story about a boy that finds an old camera on the beach, develops the film and discovers all sorts of pictures, including pictures with other kids who have found the camera. He takes one of himself and sends it away again where a little girl finds it. The pictures were really expressive and detailed.
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Read in May, 2008
CIP/Summary: Wordless picture book depicting a young boy's exciting discovery during a day at the beach.
Wiesner's sophisticated watercolors tell the story of a young boy who finds an underwater camera while at the beach one day. When he has the film developed, he finds a window into a different world and a record of all the children who have discovered it in the past.
Positively reviewed in SLJ and Publisher's Weekly.
Wiesner's sophisticated watercolors tell the story of a young boy who finds an underwater camera while at the beach one day. When he has the film developed, he finds a window into a different world and a record of all the children who have discovered it in the past.
Positively reviewed in SLJ and Publisher's Weekly.
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
lovers of illustration
This book is awesome, awesome, awesome. It kicks ass whether you're a kid or an adult, and it's not one of those godawful "Children's books" that are clearly written for adults. It's just terrific, and it tells a better story without a single word than a lot of the turgid crap I've been assigned over the years ever did. Plus you can knock it out in like six and a half minutes, so that's always nice.
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Read in June, 2008
recommended to Erik by:
Classmate
I read this in my Illustrating Children's Books class I'm taking. It's a wordless story of a kid finding a camera on the beach. It's visually similar to a comic book — there are a lot of action to action moments broken up into panels on the page. I've come to discover the artist's style often is somewhat realistically rendered yet the events that comprise each story are quite bizarre.
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Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
anyone!!!
This is a MUST HAVE for anyone who appreciates high-quality picture books -- not just children!
Really, the term "picture book" doesn't even do this one justice. If you're familiar with Tuesday or any of this author/illustrator's other titles, then you know that his imagination knows no bounds. Great concept, flawless execution. Something new to see upon every viewing.
Really, the term "picture book" doesn't even do this one justice. If you're familiar with Tuesday or any of this author/illustrator's other titles, then you know that his imagination knows no bounds. Great concept, flawless execution. Something new to see upon every viewing.
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