cover image Octopuses One to Ten

Octopuses One to Ten

Ellen Jackson, illus. by Robin Page. Beach Lane, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4814-3182-8

In this octopus-themed book that counts from one to 10, Jackson (Beastly Babies) offers gentle rhymes that explore the animal’s characteristics and habits (“They can wander where they please, swimming through the seven seas”); supplemental paragraphs elaborate on the ideas introduced (“Every ocean of the world, from the shallow coastal waters to the depths of the sea, is home to at least one species of octopus”). Page’s (A Chicken Followed Me Home!) digital art, which resembles torn-paper collage, provides a sense of fluid, underwater movement while highlighting the striking diversity of octopus species, including the webbed blanket octopus and venomous blue-ringed octopus. Craft ideas are included. Ages 2–8. (Sept.)