Octopuses

Children's Literature

Octopuses have fascinated writers, swimmers and divers through the centuries. Now very young children, too, can experience the remarkable creatures first hand with this book, part of the "Under the Sea" series. Text is spare and easily understood—ninety-four words for the whole book. Dazzling photo illustrations show octopuses scuttling across the ocean floor, swimming near an adult diver—a good way to show size—and hiding in an underwater cave to avoid its enemies. Close up pictures of the octopus' eyes and suckers on its eight tentacles, as well as photos of the defense mechanisms of camouflage and squirting ink are amazing. A bibliography, child-safe web site, glossary and index complete this gem of a book. 2005, Pebble Plus/Capstone Press, Ages 3 to 6.
—Judy Crowder

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-These easy-to-read titles consist of simple sentences, repetition of new words, and interesting facts to engage new science readers. Each one begins with a basic description of the creature, then loosely describes its body parts. Vibrant, full-color photography carefully selected from various sources brings the texts into clearer focus. End material consists of an unsatisfactory glossary, a brief suggested reading list, and an Internet-site recommendation that requires a special code. Well-funded libraries with a desire to add to simple nonfiction picture-book collections might consider these books for purchase.-Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.