Children's Book Monday

Oh dear friends!  I'm so pleased that my dear friend Elise has started making her Children's Book Monday a carnival so others can link up and share their favorite library finds!  (If you haven't read my mom's adorable guest post on how to have a good trip to the library from a librarian's perspective, do take a look!)
So today I join in.  I love books and in fact I am considering using a literature based curriculum next year for my daughters schooling.  Where to start reviewing always baffles me as there are so many wonderful books to review!

Recently my mom's library branch shut down (budget cuts strike again).  They sold off their collection of books for $1 each.  I went a little crazy with my requests, and my mom went a little crazy with picking up newberry and caldecott winners!  We have so many wonderful books on our shelf right now and I feel so blessed to have a vast library here at home for those weeks that we don't make it out to the library.

Flotsam by David Wiesner

At first glance this book looks a little odd.  The cover makes you wonder at the story looming inside.  When I flipped through and there were no words a sense of apprehension briefly crossed my mind.  But my children have great imaginations, and so we settled in for an illustrated adventure.

The story that unfolds in the deeply mysterious book is one that already has captured my eldest's imagination.  It begins with a young boy at the beach with his parents.  His curiosity is evident and the amazing paintings as he explores the world around him draw you in with each page.

Lost in his reverie a large wave brings not only a wet surprise, but a hidden treasure as well.  After inquiring with his parents and the life guard, as any good citizen would do, he seeks to open the treasure and delve into it's contents fully.  Not jewels, not fortune, but something much more valuable is found inside the blue box labeled "Melville underwater camera".

Your children will delight at the portrayal of what really happens beneath the waves where no one truly sees...It makes you wonder what is possible.  And then another picture appears...

Initially, it's meaning escaped even me.  But the curious, they uncover the secrets that hide beneath the common appearances... I will leave you here, with questions and inquiries for that is the way this book is done.  The excitement of turning the page to discover what happens next almost causes you to miss the intricate details of each page.  Which is why this book is one to be enjoyed over and over and over.

Linked to Children's Book Monday @ A Path Made Straight.