Caldecott Medal Winner

Flotsam

by David Wiesner

Summary

A boy at the beach discovers an old underwater camera washed up by the tide and develops its film to find astonishing scenes of secret sea life. The photographs also reveal a chain of children across generations who each found the camera before him, linking him to a hidden history. Wiesner tells the whole story without words, using detailed, luminous watercolors that reward close looking and reward the imagination.

Historical Context & Significance

Flotsam gave David Wiesner his third Caldecott Medal, tying the record then held by Marcia Brown.