Liz Ledden (text) and Makoto Koji (illustrator), Everyone Wants an Octopus Book (We all Belong in Stories), Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing, March 2024, 24 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781761210846
Hey Inky!
What are you looking for?
Hi Quack.
A book. But I can’t find any characters like me.
When I scan the children’s bookshelves in my local bookshops or library, I check to see if there truly is a lack of octopuses in picture books. After all, we share this planet with millions of octopuses. What I discovered are many children’s books featuring dogs, cats, chickens, whales, horses, pigeons and the very popular sloth. Not one single octopus waved a tentacle back at me from a book cover. This made me want to see an octopus in a children’s book more than ever!
So, why aren’t there picture books featuring animal characters from all over the world? Octopuses are smart, and adaptable, have three hearts and eight super useful tentacles. Inky’s friend Quack says they make great friends. And they want to be in books! Who wouldn’t want to see more octopuses and a whole cast of diverse characters in a book after reading this? Ledden’s sparse yet thought-provoking text will ignite critical thinking from even the smallest child. Hopefully, this book will lead to discussions on why we need more diverse people in books. After all, children’s books are mostly written to educate children about the world around them. Stories deepen their understanding and empathy by placing them in the character’s shoes.
Multi-talented animator/illustrator Makoto Koji has created watery characters with emotion in a delicious bubble gum palette of colours.
This picture book is an essential addition to the diversity section of any library and a thought-provoking read for children 3+.
Reviewed by Stef Gemmill
