Four on Friday: Octopuses
Octopuses (and yes, that is the correct way to pluralize octopus) are super fascinating creatures! They have eight tentacles that have nerve cells controlling movement which means they have eight mini-brains and a larger central brain too! They also have three hearts! Many can squeeze into the smallest of spaces and others can camouflage themselves by changing both their color and texture. There’s even a teeny tiny octopus that’s named Adorabilis… it’s so cute!
I was so inspired by everything I learned about octopuses, I even used an octopus in the redesign of my website! You can learn some more great octopus facts in my post “Why an Octopus with an Ice Cream Cone?” Or if you’re looking to learn more about the Adorabilis octopus, there’s an adorable picture book that I reviewed!
Four on Friday: Octopuses
- Fourteen Animals (That Are Definitely Not an Octopus) by Gabe Pyle
“In this hilarious book of animals, artist Gabe Pyle presents sixteen beloved animals who are definitely not an octopus–or are they? Observant youngsters will love uncovering each octopus cleverly disguised in 15 animals’ shapes. Based on the immensely popular Threadless t-shirt, 16 Animals (That Definitely Aren’t an Octopus) is a fresh, witty romp through the animal kingdom that even adults will find hard to resist.” - Inky’s Amazing Escape: How a Very Smart Octopus Found His Way Home by Sy Montgomery, illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford
“Inky had been at the New Zealand aquarium since 2014 after being taken in by a fisherman who found him at sea. Inky had been getting used to his new environment, but the staff quickly figured out that he had to be kept amused or he would get bored. Then one night in 2016 Inky, about the size of a basketball, decided he’d had enough. He slithered eight feet across the floor and down a drainpipe more than 160 feet long to his home in the sea.” - The Octopuppy by Martin McKenna
“Meet Edgar. He’s determined to train his new puppy. Sit. Stay. Fetch. What could go wrong? It’s just that Edgar’s dog happens to be an octopus. A particularly brilliant octopus at that. Meet Jarvis. Edgar’s life is about to change forever.” - Octopuses One to Ten by Ellen Jackson, illustrated by Robin Page
“Everyone knows octopuses have eight arms. But did you know that they have three hearts and nine brains? This intriguing exploration of octopuses goes through numbers one to ten, with a snappy rhyme and fascinating octopus facts for each number. The book also includes octopus crafts and activities for more learning fun!”
And if you’re looking for more great octopus books for kids, check out this list from Bookroo!
