The "art" of Reading

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Flotsam by David Wiesner was a 2007 Caldecott Award recipient. I use this book as a wordless book option with my students when they first begin the Neuhaus program with me. Flotsam contains illustrations of underwater life with no text to accompany them. Flotsam has illustrations that depict realism. Realism is defined as the "faithful reproduction of nature, people, and objects as they usually appear."  Wiesner uses a lot of diagonal lines in his illustrations to suggest movement. For example, there is a squid that appears to be swimming by the position of the lines used. Another example is a hot air balloon that appears to be floating above the water. The use of shapes in his illustrations is easily recognizable. The curves of the fish generally suggest things found in nature. The vibrant colors found throughout the book create a joyful atmosphere. The author also uses color colors to depict the ocean. Another awesome appearance that the author creates is the texture on the pages on a two-dimensional surface. For example, the sky appears smooth, starfish appear rough, and the sand appears bumpy. The meticulous and rich detail make this book involving and convincing. 

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