No Place for an Octopus
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley December 10, 2019
Author Claire Zorn
Distributor: UQP
ISBN: 978 0 7022 6260 9
Publisher: Universtiy of Queensland Press
Release Date: November 2019
Website: https://www.uqp.uq.edu.au
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What adventures can be had from a simple day at beach, sand squishing, crunching underfoot; a day when the ocean is resting allowing the many rock pools hidden under the water to be discovered by people big and small.
A little boy is spending time peering into magical, mystical and intriguing rock pools seeking to find treasure, discovering beautiful things and perhaps he may find something very special
He finds a lovely, pink octopus, he decides might very well make a jolly good friend. He spends time imagining all the wonderful things they can do together, because surely the octopus must be lonely living in the pool all by himself.
Oh, the adventures they could have if maybe he took it home with him and it became his pet.
Captivating illustrations capture the mood of the story perfectly as the little boy, adventure bound, ponders the pros and cons of having a lovely pink octopus for a pet, finally beginning to realise that perhaps, this may not please the octopus at all, and just perhaps, right there in this rock pool, is the perfect place to be, particularly if you are an octopus.
A clever use of words crafts the entwined message about conservation; the little boys’ thoughts come through crystal clear as he goes about thinking his way through an issue, eventually arriving at absolutely the right decision.
No Place for an Octopus from award winning Claire Zorn is perfectly tailored for small children, as well as their adults, as an introduction or reminder, to caring about and understanding the natural beauty to be found in every aspect of life.
The hard cover captures the imagination immediately as there is a deep cut out simulating what can be discovered in a rock pool at the beach when you find an octopus looking back at you!