An Entirely Visual Storytelling
David Wiesner's ability to tell a story using only illustrations, and fine ones at that, is amazing.

When a boy finds an antique camera washed up on the beach, he is intrigued by what images it holds inside. So intrigued, that he takes it to be developed and waits as it's done. The images the camera holds inside reveal a world of fantasy and reality mixed. The final entry the camera reveals is an image of the last child who found the camera on the beach holding a photograph. As the boy looks into the photograph the child is holding, it appears to have an image inside the image of other children holding a picture. He gets a magnifier and looks into the picture and sees an infinite image. Knowing that he must carry on the tradition, he sets the camera up, takes a picture of himself holding the last picture, and throws the camera back into the ocean sending it on it's voyage to be delivered to the next curious child.

This work is a wonderful display of imagination and picture storytelling at it's best.

In the eye of the mind...
David Wiesner is the Stephen King of illustrated children's books: off-kilter, weird, and supernatural. However, Wiesner underlies all he draws with humor, joy, spunk. He has won the Caldecott Gold Medal three times, for
Tuesday,
The Three Pigs,
and "Flotsam."

This is what is written on the front book flap: "Flotsam: Something that floats. If it floats in the ocean, it may wash up on the beach, where someone may find it and be astonished, and share the discovery with someone else--as David Wiesner shares it with you." And that, my friends, pretty well summarizes "Flotsam" as far as story line goes. However, to appreciate Wiesner's storytelling talent through art, you must "read" the book.

First page after the end paper and before the title page is a distinctive picture of a boy beachcombing. The double title page shows findings from a beachcombing expedition. The next page begins the story with a close-up of a hermit crab in front of a huge eyeball belonging to the boy. He's looking, looking, and a huge wave sweeps him over. When it washes back out, there sits a camera with seaweed and tiny barnacles all over it. It's a Melville Underwater Camera.

He finds a roll of film in it and takes it to the one-hour photo shop on the beach. What he sees when the film is developed astonishes not only the boy but the viewer as well. It is a picture of phantasmogorical figures of the sea. But the most astonishing is the one of a girl holding a photograph of a boy holding a photograph of a girl holding a photo...He gets a magnifying glass and sees more figures and photos. He gets a microscope and sees more and more and more until it is just a boy in 19th century garb waving to the camera.

He takes a photo of himself holding the photograph he had developed and then tosses the camera back into the sea. At the end another little girl finds the camera...

Children LOVE the bizarre elements of the story. It tickles their fancy and stimulates their imagination. This is a must book for every child, kindergarten age and up, including mothers and fathers. I have my own copy, as well as Wiesner's other two Caldecott winners. They are a joy to "read."

Flotsam by David Wiesner
Great book, but no words in it. I would have preferred words for my granddaughter to see along with the beautiful pictures. This is truly a picture book!

Beautiful illustrations!!! Great story left to our imagination!!!
I stumbled across this book at the library. The first time I opened it up I was a bit surprised to not see any words and my 2 yr old was not interested in it either. But after I studied the beautiful illustrations, the story unfolded before me. The next time I read it to my daughter and told her the story the way I interpreted it. She likes it now and even helps tell me the story.

The people who gave this book a low rating have no imagination.

I liked the book so much I decided to buy a copy to keep at home...library renewals only last a short time (hee hee!).

SPEECHLESS!!
When I first saw this book, I was blown away by its ambitious art. From the opening of the page, the readers are treated with beautiful illustration of all the things you might find at the beach.

Every brush stroke was ever so carefully applied even to the minute detail as if Mr. Wiesner wanted to create a masterpiece. I'm glad there is no text because that might be a distraction from his every so fine-tuned illustrations; picture does speak for it self.

I've read his other book, `The Three Pigs', this book raises the level of illustrations by a couple (which is an understatement) notch, and that book was something to behold.

This book truly is an achievement; a well deserved Caldecott Medal winner.