Author/Illustrator: David Wiesner

Publisher and Year: Clarion Books, 2006

Number of Pages: 36

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Analysis: “Flotsam” is about a boy who goes on a casual trip to the beach with his family. On the trip, he finds a camera with a long-lasting tradition attached to it. This book could work as a window to perhaps view another culture through this little boy’s adventures. There is a sample of each child’s culture through their picture, and although every person’s culture may differ, they are all still brought together with the camera. This may even work as a mirror for those who could see themselves as the young boy who finds the camera. The images provided portray each child in a different light, and we can see it in the way that they dress and their background.

Perceptually, this book has no words, it is a picture narrative.

Structurally, some pictures are framed with a limited view, and the entire story is “told” through expressions and pictures.

Ideologically, this book teaches the importance of tradition, and that the curiosity and imagination of child could go a long way.