I wish that I had known more about Flotsam, by David Wiesner, before I read it for the first time two weeks ago to Dylan, my six-year-old, at bedtime.

I might have done things a little differently.

For one thing, I would have had my husband standing by, camera in hand, ready to take pictures of Dylan’s face as we looked through this beautiful book.

It was such a pleasure watching his deepening look of wonder.

Flotsam, a wordless picture book, has a lovely little plot, and the best moment for me was the look on Dylan’s face when he realized what was going on. The amazement and wonder just blossomed on his face, and it’s something I’ll always remember.

Flotsam tells the story of an underwater camera, the pictures it takes during its journeys, and the children who find it. It is a gorgeous, magical and incredibly imaginative book.

We have read this book every night so far since that first night, and that sense of wonder is still there. The pictures are so beautiful, and have prompted many discussions. My personal favorite is the picture of the turtles with the cities of shells on their backs; Dylan’s favorite is the mechanical fish.

When we have to return this book to the library, I will be buying a copy for our own personal library. It’s definitely a keeper.

And even if you don’t have kids – even if you don’t like kids! – check your local library and see if they have a copy. Flotsam won the Caldecott Medal, so most libraries are likely to carry it. Browse through it and see for yourself.

This book trailer also gives you glimpses of what the book is like:

Where to buy Flotsam:

U.S. (Amazon.com) | Indiebound | Canada (Chapters) | UK (Amazon.co.uk)

Book details: published by Clarion Books, 2006, Hardcover, 40 pages

Little Skink’s Tail, by Janet Halfmann

While Little Skink hunts yummy ants for breakfast, she is suddenly attacked by a crow! But she has a trick to escape she snaps off her tail, and it keeps on wiggling! Little Skink is happy to be alive, but she misses her bright blue tail. Little Skink’s Tail follows Little Skink as she daydreams of having the tails of other animals in the forest. Readers will enjoy pretending with her, trying on tail after tail. The first is too puffy-fluffy, and another too stinky! Then one day Little Skink gets a big surprise…and she doesn’t have to dream of tails anymore. The For Creative Minds section has information on tail adaptations and communications and a mix-and-match tail activity.

My thoughts: This is a little gem of a book that accomplishes two things: it tells a wonderful story, and it helps parents explore the world of animals and their tails with their children. The first time I read this book to my son, I was surprised because for some reason, I had expected the book to be non-fiction; instead, it is the delightful story of Little Skink who has to snap off her beautiful bright blue tail in order to escape from danger. The book follows her as she uses her imagination to try on the tails of other animals; the story ends with a happily-ever-after, as Little Skink turns around one day and sees her tail has grown back.

This is a picture book that my son often asks me to re-read, and it has also served as a great way to start an educational (but fun) discussion about why different animals have different tails – what are the different functions of different kinds of tails? Why would switching to a different kind of tail be not only impractical but possibly dangerous? What types of animals are lucky enough to be able to grow back a tail they’ve lost? Little Skink’s Tail is a great picture book that manages to educational, too. It’s no wonder it has won several awards.

Where to buy: Amazon U.S. | IndieBound | Chapters (Canada) | Amazon UK

Ms. Bookish’s Quick Take: Oh, what a wonderful, joyous ride is Olivia Helps With Christmas! This is a wonderful book about all the ways little ones get ready on The Big Day, with of course a dollop of special Olivia spice to it. Children don’t have to have met Olivia in any of her previous books to enjoy this one. We had several laugh-aloud moments. It’s a great book for ushering in the holiday season. See below for the full review.

From the jacket flap:

… Not a piglet was stirring.

Well, maybe just one.

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