FICTION

Uh-Oh Octopus!

by Erik van Os
VAN LIESHOUT, Elle & . Uh-Oh Octopus! tr. from Dutch. illus. by Mies van Hout. 32p. Lemniscaat. Apr. 2015. Tr $17.95. ISBN 9781935954392.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—When Octopus sees a large, colorful tail sticking out his front door, he visits the homes of his underwater friends for advice. Although they each suggest tactics that come naturally to them, he cannot bring himself to eat, scare, ignore, move, or slime the unknown intruder who's blocking his entrance. It is not until Octopus is alone with his own thoughts that he realizes that he must approach the tail with caution and question it with politeness. This story about fear turns into a rescue story (and a love story) after the tail screams for help and all the sea animals pull the creature free. Van Hout adds humor to the multi-colored waters by drawing PJs on the pajama fish and a suitcase around the trunk fish.
VERDICT A strong addition to most collections.
Reviewed by Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada
One day, Octopus returns to find a tail sticking out of the entrance to his underwater home. He asks various friends for advice; it's all bad (e.g., "Eat him!"). By behaving politely, Octopus learns that the obstructing visitor is friendly. Brimming with colorful sea life, the detailed art isn't enough to offset the bland writing full of grammar and punctuation blunders.
, Mar 01, 2015

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