Behold the Octopus! by Suzanne Slade

With text that is both simple and detailed, and with beautiful illustrations, Behold the Octopus introduces a fascinating ocean creature.

Behold the Octopus! by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez. Peachtree, 2023. 32 pages.

• Reading Level: Picture book, ages 4-8
• Recommended For: Ages 4-8

An extraordinary invertebrate like the octopus takes effort to visit if you don’t live close to an aquarium, but there is certainly much to admire.

Most of the narrative in this book consists of one word such as “hunting,” “building,” “gliding,” etc., accompanied by dramatic double-page spreads, with further explanation is provided on the opposite page. Read it once with the simple descriptions, then slow down and go through it again with the details.

The illustrations are vivid and colorful, telling their own narrative inspired by the simple text. Indeed–behold the most impressive octopus!

Overall Rating: 4

• Literary/Artistic Rating: 4
• Worldview Rating: 4

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Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader

• Book Review: Eye to Eye: How Animals See the World by Steve Jenkins is another resource to help you admire creation when it’s hard to get up close in person. Note considerations.
• Resource: Great Carrier Reef tells of an interesting approach to use something old to fill a need in the ocean.
• Book Review: Suzanne Slade is also the author of the Wile E. Coyote,…Genius series. These easy readers are a lot of fun.

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