Wiesner, David. (2006). Flotsam. New York: Clarion Books.
SUMMARY
The expression "A picture is worth a thousad words" is a perfect description for Flotsam. Author David Wiesner uses no words, yet this tale, told only in pictures, is an incredible, thought provoking story.
A boy, who is vacationing at the beach with his family finds an antique camera that has washed ashore and begins an amazing adventure. After having the film developed, the boy has a peek into what ocean life is really like. Through his detailed illustrations, Wiesner takes the boy and the reader on a journey of great imagination: mechanical fish, starfish islands, and aliens. However, they boy's biggest suprise comes when he closely examines a photo of a girl from another continent.
IDEAS
Once again, David Wiesner creates a masterpiece that can be appreciated by all ages. The premise behind this book is both exciting and thought provoking. Although the photos of the happenings under the ocean are clearly imaginary, the deeper meanings behind the photo of the girl give the reader pause and perhaps ideas to perform a similar task such as a balloon release. The story could also spur ideas for students to write their own underwater adventures or any other unlikely place.
I chose Flotsam to compare to Wiesner's other works. I enjoy using books by the same author in my classroom so that students can compare and contrast characters, settings and plots.
Are these photos, or drawings?
ReplyDeleteThey are incredible drawings! Some of the drawings are of photos. I can see the confusion in my explaination. Thanks for pointing that out.
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