Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Flotsam - 2007 Caledecott winner


Wow!  I love this book.  I've actually spent more time with this book (there are no words) than any of the other Caldecott books I've read for this blog.  I remember growing up as an only child that I would spend hours in my room with puzzles and books.  One of my favorite activities was to study and analyze the pictures in every book I read - and I read lots of books, over and over again.  Flotsam, by David Wiesner is an amazing work.  The boy in this story, I must say, went very well prepared to investigate the beach.  His buckets are filled with specimens he has collected and he has both a set of binoculars and a microscope.  I'm rethinking what I will pack in my beach bag come July - forget the ipod, I need to take some shovels, nets, and buckets.

I think students would love this book as much as I - there are so many ways to view the story, and so many questions to ponder.  Geography - where all has that camera been?  History - investigate the clothing each child in the different pictures was wearing and match it with a time period,   and what is that cylinder shaped object he bought to put into the camera (film - today's students will not know).  Science - use of microscopes.  Fantasy - the backs of starfishes actually being islands, the electric eel providing the light source in the octupus' living room.  General - why is that lady wearing a sweater when everyone else on the beach is clearing wearing swimsuits and short sleeves?  You see why I spent hours in my room studying pictures????  I could go on forever.

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