Flotsam

Bibliographic Info: Wiesner, D. (2006). Flotsam. Illus. David Wiesner. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Annotation: This is a boldly colorful, wordless book about a boy who finds a camera and discovers it is full of under water pictures that tell their own story.

Genre: Wordless picturebook

Grade level: Pk-3

Readers who will like this book: Children that are able to gather their own ideas and tell stories through pictures. Any child with an active imagination!

Personal response: The pictures were very intense in this book, I personally found it hard to concentrate on during the first few passes. After soaking up all of the detail in the illustration, I was able to start over and really take in the story. I rate this book at a 3.

A question you would ask before reading: What do you think is under all of that water in the sea? Lake?

Award Info: Flotsam was awarded the Randolph Caldecott Medal in 2006. The Caldecott Medal is given annually to the illustrator of the most distinguished picturebook for children that is published in the United States. The book must be published in the previous year to receive the award.

Reading Strategies Connection:
a). Internet Investigations
b.) This connection allows children to perform research on the Internet regarding a given topic. They are able to research about real event, people, places or other information. Students begin by composing questions about the book and the teacher composes a list of "search" terms for them to use in the computer. Once more relevant information is found, the students are able to share their findings with the class.
c.) I believe this strategy would be useful to show children the expanse of life beneath the ocean surface. There are so many things you would be able to do research on...underwater plants, animals, formations, water currents, the possibilities are endless. This would be a useful strategy to get children started in an ocean unit or just to expand their knowledge on the ocean itself! It relates to this particular book. Flotsam, because the boy discovers the camera from the water and the pictures within in.