Flotsam: A Wordless World
This wordless book was a refreshing experience as a lover of
the arts and proponent of letting imaginations roam wild. I found the
illustration to be utterly fantastical and the use of perspective in the illustration
lends to this feeling. The fantasy world depicted is also grounded in the
reality of human objects like sofas or lamps which helps to create a setting in
which the mind can roam without feeling overwhelmed. While there is a distinct
journey the boy at the beach depicted goes on and, for adult readers, a clear
structure to the book, the lack of words and imagination of the book creates
space for young readers to tell their own version of the story which is really important
for learning how to write in the future.
Overall, I found the crossover between human and animal
worlds to be done beautifully and with a level of playfulness that was
extremely engaging. I also appreciated the twist at the end with the girl in
the photo that created a community of children who know the truth, but really,
are just freeing their imaginations. My only critique is that it felt a bit short to me. I highly recommend this book to read with
a child before bedtime as a way to get them to make their own stories and gain
more visual vocabulary and knowledge.
Title: Flotsam
Author: David Wiesner
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Date: 2006
ISBN: 978-0-618-19457-5
Elly’s Rating: 4/5
The picture that you added alone makes me want to pick up this book. The art catches the eye right away. I found it very interesting that the author connects human items with animals. It is not something that I expected, so it intrigues me even more to pick it up and look through it.
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