Divya SrinivasanOctopus Alone

Charming story with lovely illustrations and a fun fold-out.

Such an adorable book. My son loves octopuses, so this book was great for him. There is a center page that folds out into three pages vertically, so be careful if you have a toddler!!! The message is good and takes the octopus in a little journey to find a place of quietness and alone time, but he realizes how much he does enjoy others around. The way I explain it is “sometimes we get overwhelmed and need some a lone time, and that is completely okay, we all need that time to focus on ourselves, but we also need others around for love and support and friendship”

My daughter loves this book and I do as well! We both enjoy the story and illustrations. My daughter (age 3) does not fully comprehend the message of the story but she does get the main idea. Octopus needs alone time, like we all do sometimes. The flow of the story lends itself easily to a fun dramatic reading so this is wonderful to read aloud. The illustrations are captivating and will definitely hold a child's attention in order to help them stay focused on the text.Octopus feels overwhelmed by her friends and swims away to a part of the ocean where she can be alone for a little while. She plays alone and has a nap, (and a snack too) and when she wakes up she misses her friends and goes back to them. A very simple story, but meaningful.Great for exuberant kids who sometimes need to calm down, great for quiet kids who are easily overwhelmed and need a chance to get centered before joining others, great for family and friends of kids who need alone time, to help understand what others are feeling.A favorite in our collection, highly recommended.

I was stalking this book for a while, and pounced when it went on sale. I have the two owl books by this author, which we have been enjoying since my daughter was 1.5, but this one is more suited to older toddlers / young children. It is also more of a real story with a plot, while still exploring a new environment.The illustrations are gorgeous, and when (spoiler!) the whale pops up, it has a surprise fold-out. In the front and back are labeled illustrations of all the types of sea creatures in the book, and my daughter (now 2.5) loves trying to learn them all.There are some darker themes (how to explain what the octopus was about to do that lobster? I decided to go with the truth, but it might upset a sensitive child). It is definitely a book that will offer my daughter new concepts, as she grows old enough to hear them.

Octopus Alone is a great book for children ages 3-5. The illustrations are wonderful and the text isn't too long or complex for a bedtime story. This story begins with Octopus hiding in her cave watching the scenes outside, when a few pesky Seahorses invade her space, she just wants to get away. On her quest for alone time she changes colors to hide and inks her way out of some close encounters. During her journey she sees: sea snakes, anemones, tiny fish eating algae from the scales of a big fish, jellies, and sea stars. After a missed meal, a humorous moment with crabs in a cage, a close call with an eel and a whale, and a nap, she realizes she misses the reef, and most of all, those pesky Seahorses. When she returns home the little Seahorses are there to welcome her back. This is a great book for your child's home library, it is my favorite Srinivasan book so far, and a great book for the start of summer. I highly recommend it.

One of the pages was ripped. When ordering I knew it was used but it didn’t include that specific info.

This book has beautiful under the ocean illustrations. There is a page with various sea critters labeled in cursive writing. My 3 year old future marine biologist (maybe) added trumpet fish, squirrelfish, domino fish and damsel fish to his list of known species from us reading this book together. There are several other marine species also identified, they were just not new to him, but we read ocean themed material and watch ocean documentaries on a regular basis. I was also pleased with word choices in this book as they required expanding my grandson's vocabulary just slightly, which is perfect for a book, e.g., merry rather than happy. I also liked the word pictures used, e.g., "magnificent storm of bubbles". Thus is exactly the kind of book I want to share with my grandson!

I am a new mom who is struggling to read my 8-month-old son books that he is still not quite interested in and I am annoyed by (there are some really stupid, sappy children’s books out there!). I want to say that Divya's books are a BREATH OF FRESH AIR. I never get tired of little owl and just discovered the shy octopus today and was equally delighted. Please issue Little Owl’s Day and Octopus Alone in a board book format soon so I can read them to my little monster (who prefers to eat and tear pages than look at them).Her work is absolutely delightful. You won't be disappointed!!

Little owls and the octopus, my boys favourite. The book is simple and colourful, works its magic on the little ones.

I found the story jumped around a lot and it just wasn't as enjoyable as other books.