Kathryn Peterson ENG 308, Win. 2013 Professor Jill Warren Feb.

18, 2013

By David Wiesner
Definition of flotsam
(According to Wiesner)

FLOTSAM

flotsam (noun) something that floats

/flt-sm/

Publisher and Copyright Date: Clarion Books (Houghton Mifflin), 2006 ISBN: 9780618194575 Genre: Chidlrens Picture Book Fantasy; Childrens Picture Books: Wordless Theme: Exploration Mini-Themes: Science, Oceans, Photography, Art and Illustration, Magic Recommended Ages: Pre K-2 Reading Level: N/A

Summary: A young boy is beachcombing examining the things he can find near
the edge of the water. A large wave comes in, bringing with it a strange camera. The boy examines the camera and takes it to get the photos developed. They show fantastic underwater scenes octopi reading books in armchairs, underwater aliens, and schools of mechanical fish. The very last picture is of another child holding a picture of someone holding a picture of someone else. The boy examines this last photo with his microscope, seeing all the boys and girls who have found the camera over the years. He takes a picture of himself holding the last picture and throws the camera back into the ocean, where it goes on another adventure and, in the end, floats up on another shore.

Application: This book is a great resource for younger kids, who cant read or are
just beginning to read, as well as older students who arent comfortable with books or the elements of a story when presented in text. It can increase older childrens familiarity with the elements of a story without making them feel overwhelmed, and it can increase young childrens love of books and sense of power because they can

read it themselves. This book is also great for any very curious child especially those interested in science who will identify with the boy. Finally, it is an excellent resource for children who are interested in art and illustration. It really showcases the importance of illustration in picture books, and may inspire reluctant illustrators, as well.

About the Author (and Illustrator)

When David was in school, all of his classmates called him the kid who can draw. He ended up studying Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design and has since written and illustrated 26 books (including one he wrote with his wife, who is a surgeon) that have been translated into over a dozen languages. He has won three Caldecott Medals (Tuesday 1992, Three Pigs 2002, Flotsam 2007) and two Caldecott Honors (Free Fall and Sector 7) for his work. David typically works on his books for years sketching, revising, and even making 3-D models of his characters or drawings. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and his two children. They spend their summers at the Jersey Shore. (Houghton Mifflin, 2013). David says that this book was inspired by a time when he and a friend found some flotsam of their own in a brook they were exploring. (Wiesner, 2007).

Creative Classroom Extensions

1. Storytelling/Retelling: Have younger students tell you the story verbally while they are reading the book. Write down their story as they tell it to you and encourage them to illustrate it in their own way. Older students can be encouraged to write the text to go with the story, and to illustrate it, as well. 2. Journal Writing: Wiesners camera takes pictures of fantastical things as it travels through the ocean. Have the students study the book, and then encourage them to verbally describe whats happening in their favorite scene. In a follow-up, ask them what other types of scenes the camera might encounter on its next journey. Have them describe these in their journals. 3. Art and Culture: Bring in a digital camera. Over the course of several days (or a week) take a picture of each student, like the last photo on the camera in the book. Start with a picture of a student holding a picture of the teacher, have the next student hold a picture of that picture and so on. Set out magnifying glasses for the students to use to look at the final picture. Use this to talk about perspective in art and how Wiesner uses it in his illustrations. 4. Art and Culture: Bring in a variety of different types of cameras and let the students explore them. Supply them with magnifying glasses. Encourage them to make predictions about what time period/where they are from. Develop the pictures they take and talk about why pictures from different cameras might look different. 5. Science: Have a beachcombing or flotsaming session in the schoolyard. Have students use a magnifying glass and a notebook to record their observations. As a class, talk about what they saw, what it tells them about the schoolyard, and why someone might do this type of observation.

6. Science: Discuss the difference between flotsam and natural debris on a beach. Talk about where flotsam comes from and how pollution is leading to more and more flotsam showing up on beaches. Discuss the dangers of this kind of pollution for beaches and oceans.

Awards and Honors for Flotsam

Banco del Libro XXXI Best Book for Children and Young People Award 2007: Caldecott Medal Winner 2007: Booklist Editors Choice Books For Youth 2007: Booklist Notable Book 2007: New York Times Best Illustrated Childrens Book

Similar Books Written and Illustrated by David Wiesner

Free Fall (1988) Hurricane (1990) Tuesday (1991) June 29, 1999 (1992) Sector 7 (1999) The Three Pigs (2001) Art and Max (2010)

Wiesner (on writing Flotsam): The pictures flowed out, the text disappeared, and the parallel stories became one. (Weisner, 2007) References:
Houghton Mifflin Co. (2013) David weisner: news. Retrieved from http://www.hmhbooks.com/wiesner/news.html Houghton Mifflin Co. (2013) David weisner: bookshelf. Retrieved from http://www.hmhbooks.com/wiesner/bookshelf.html Houghton Mifflin Co. (2013) David weisner: biography. Retrieved from http://www.hmhbooks.com/wiesner/biography.html Weisner, D. (2007) Caldecott medal speech for Flotsam. Retrieved from http://www.hmhbooks.com/wiesner/2007-speech.html