PICTURE BOOK REVIEW : The Octopus by Guojing
ABOUT THE BOOK
A little girl goes to the beach with her mother, never expecting the day full of magic and wonder that is ahead of her. When she scoops up a tiny octopus in her small, clear container, and they see each other eye to eye, there’s a spark between them! But a little octopus cannot be happy for long in a container. So the girl sets out to discover what the octopus needs. And that’s when something truly magical happens! Soon, the little girl is on an underwater adventure with her new octopus friend, where she discovers the joy and beauty of the octopus’s world and learns how she can help take care of the ocean in her own way.
REVIEW
With her typically adorable digital illustrations, Guojing tells the story of a young girl befriending a tiny octopus. In this wordless, graphic novel style picture book, a young girl finds a beached octopus on the beach. She places it in her clear jar with some sand and ocean water to see if it revives. The animal does revive and she returns it to the ocean where she immediately rescues the creature again. This time the animal touches the seashell the girl is wearing around her neck and magic occurs. The girl finds herself shrinking down to the size of the octopus. The two head out on an adventure in the ocean and the girl gets to visit the octopus's den and find a shell that matches the one around her neck. Along the way the girl finds human garbage endangering some of the wildlife around her and gathers it up to throw away when she returns to the beach. The gorgeous art tells the complete story, no words needed as the girl and octopus communicate through actions alone. The themes of caring for the environment and the remarkable adventures that nature offers shine through the magic of the interactions between the characters. A delightful adventure that many young readers will enjoy along with the lovely art. An author's note at the end explains the inspiration behind the story. Highly recommended.
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