Flotsam & Jetsam by Tanya Landman, illustrated by Ruth Rivers

Flotsam and Jetsam are quirky characters made of wood and string, conjured by the fleeting imagination of a child in a boat - who thinks he sees faces on some floating debris. But long after the child has forgotten this passing fancy, the characters take on a life of their own. A propitiously magical start gives way to a rather more mundane story of the everyday comings and goings of this eccentric pair, as they build a life amongst the detritus on the beach where they are washed up, and befriend a hermit crab who they find in a Sainsbury's carrier bag. I can't help feeling there was potential for more humour in this surreal set-up, which also promised more than it ultimately delivered in the way of magic and adventure. Nevertheless, a sweetly dreamlike tale which may well inspire young imaginations.