My five-year-old son picked this book out from the library last week. I didn't especially like this book, but it did have some redeeming qualities:1. Even though the story didn't read very well with its choppy, flat text, there are some interesting facts for kids included.2. The length of the story and the text set-up per page are just about perfect. 3. The slightly strange illustrations are vibrant and eye-catching. I came upon this book while working in the library, and the attractive cover illustration made me take a peek inside. I ended up reading the whole book, and greatly enjoyed it. The illustrations are rich and colorful, and the story is unique. Although most picture books about friendship portray a bunch of animals hanging out and having fun, this one shows a shy octopus who is frightened or annoyed by different marine life creatures. In the end, she goes off to be by herself, and then realizes that perhaps being alone is not as ideal as she thought. When she returns, she is able to find the friendly and outgoing seahorses much nicer than she thought. The book is beautiful and well-crafted, and would be a great teaching opportunity for a small child. The rhythmic, flowing prose contains all kinds of fabulous vocabulary words, and the story provides a great starting point for talking to children about introversion. The character of Octopus will help a shy child to understand that it is really all right to be alone sometimes, and can teach a more social child that when a friend of theirs wants to be alone, they are not rejecting them. I appreciated the helpful, gentle messages and the beautiful illustrations, and would recommend this as a quality picture book.
What do You think about Octopus Alone (2013)?
Gorgeous illustrations of sea creatures bumps this up to a 4!
—Abbey
