Customer Reviews

Flotsam

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This book will appeal to youngsters old enough to be interested in science and who know a little about magnifying glasses, cameras, microscopes, and how the tides work. David Wiesner leaves lots of room for imagination with this unexpected, wordless story.

The only words you'll find in the book are on the dust jacket (defining flotsam and telling about the "author") and on signs and packages in the illustrations. That leaves lots of room for the "reader's" imagination to work overtime.

If that weren't enough stimulation, Mr. Wiesner puts in some fanciful illustrations that might reflect a child's imagination at work. I can imagine having lots of fun at a sleepover as each child interprets what's going on in the book.

As the book opens, you see a large eye looking at a very funny crab. Then you see the big picture in a two-page spread as a blond-headed, blue-eyed youngster is holding a crab and studying the crab through a magnifying glass. In the background there are two parents reading, shovels, binoculars, a microscope in a plastic bag, snorkel gear, pails full of flotsam, and a small box with a tentacle sticking out. In the background are a sea shell and a huge sand castle. The boy then heads for the water line where he spots a different kind of crab.

When a big wave comes in, the boy is overturned and a most unexpected bit of flotsam appears . . . one that forms the base of the story.

The story was so unexpected and interesting that I've re-read it several times to think about further meanings. I'm sure you'll have the same joy as I did.

An imaginative youngster will have even more.

Take a peek!

This incredible book has left me speechless but it has quite a contrary effect on my son. Liberated from the restrictions of a story line, he is excited about the fact that it is a wordless book. He quickly processed the fascinating pictures and used his own words, observations and imagination to make up a story full of details and comments. I then gave the book to my daughter and enjoyed a different reaction and story. Inevitably, the kids asked me to take them to the beach so they might find the camera drawn in the book. "Kids, we already found the camera. It is this book." I told them, "and we will play it forward. But this time, we will not toss it back into the water. We will fly it with an airplane to reach our uncle living in Taiwan thousands miles away". Uncle is a very accomplished artist though he may not speak much English. With this book, it will not be a problem - and that is the beauty of wordless FLOTSAM. Have fun with the book!

David Wiesner is well known for his stories told simply through well rendered images (see also: Tuesday and Sector 7). However, he is more than just a good illustrator. He has a keen eye for details so that you feel as though the world he takes you into could be possible. His sense of the magical has its complement in his subtle wit. The living room scene with the octopi is a fine example of this. Another book that will be treasured and passed on to your children's children.

Even though it has few words in it, Flotsam is a wonderful book! I purchased it for my nieces and they love it! The illustrations are incredible, it tells the story with pictures. When showing it to children one can talk about what is happening in the picture. I loved the book!

It's tough to have kids actively engage in the reading of a story...at least when they can't read. They always can look at the pictures though and that makes most stories from David Wiesner special because they allow your child to tell you the story. That trading of places fits perfectly well with the (cohesive) juxtaposition of images that flows from page to page. This story is short and odd and should be in everyone's book collection, ready to be passed on from generation to generation.