I thought I knew a fair bit about the octopus, but that was before I read Behold the Octopus! by Suzanne Slade and illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez (Peachtree Publishing 2023). The book is designed with a layered text format. Bigger, simpler text is on the left-facing page and smaller, detailed text that further explains the smaller text is on the right-facing page. A layered text allows for different ways to read the book and for different age readers to enjoy the book.
Behold the Octopus! covers the basics, but then with examples gives us a picture of the incredible diversity of octopus species. One, as small as a golf ball has enough toxin to kill a human. One that can modify its appearance (I knew about changing colors) and behavior to mimic other animals such as a flatfish or a sea snake. Woah! I knew about inky escapes, but not about a deep-sea octopus that traded sticky suckers for small lights or the one that can leave the water and walk on land. Incredible!
The illustrations were created with pastel, colored pencils, and airbrush. They are as amazing as the chosen species to profile in the book, leaving the reader with a sense of awe about this mysterious creature usually hidden from us. If your young reader is at all interested in animals or oceans, I highly recommend this book. And if animals and oceans aren’t their thing, I might still give it a try – it’s a pleasant and informative journey into the octopus world.
Lisa Connors 