Karen Wallace

Discover the mysterious, magnificent octopus! Follow a goggle-eyed octopus as she jets through the shadows, tentacles flying behind her. Finally she finds a well-hidden den in which to lay her eggs, which will dangle from the roof like grapes on a string. In silky verse, Karen Wallace explores the mysterious world of the octopus, while Mike Bostock’s flowing illustrations bring that world vividly to life. Back matter includes an afterword, resources for further information, a glossary, and an index.

Read and Wonder

Gentle Giant Octopus

Sarah Sammis

The giant octopus is the largest of the 150 species of octopuses. The largest one ever found had tentacles 15 feet long. Despite their size, they are rather docile creatures with the curiosity and intelligence of the average cat.

Gentle Giant Octopus by Karen Wallace and illustrated by Mike Bostock is an introduction to the life cycle of the giant octopus and follows a female octopus as she finds the perfect place to lay her brood of eggs. Giant octopus females lay eggs only once and lock themselves in with their brood for the five months it takes for them to hatch. They die shortly after the eggs hatch.

Gentle Giant Octopus is really two books in one. There is the very informative story set in a fairly standard looking serif typeface. Then there are the extra facts included on almost every page. These are represented by wavy text that mimics the sea currents or perhaps the undulating motions of the octopus as she swims.

Bringing all these two books together are Mike Bostock's gorgeous illustrations. They are done with an attention to detail and a lightness of touch. Sometimes I just like to flip through the book to admire the pictures.

Gentle Giant Octopus Read and Wonder

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