Product Description

"[Here is] a charming introduction to the truly amazing octopus [from its intelligence to its ability to change colors to the camouflaging black ink it squirts to escape predators]. Lauber's chatty, fact-filled text makes the book a good read-aloud, and Keller's amusing and colorful drawings enhance it—a perfect match of text and illustration." —SLJ.

Children's Books of 1990 (Library of Congress)

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #197257 in Books
• Published on: 1996-02-29
• Released on: 1996-01-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
An assortment of facts are presented in this charming introduction to the truly amazing octopus. Lauber's chatty, fact-filled text makes the book a good read-aloud, and Keller's amusing and colorful drawings enhance it by depicting exactly what is described on each page--a perfect match of text and illustration. It's an excellent replacement for Evelyn Shaw's Octopus (Harper, 1971; o.p.), which covers much of the same information. Carol Carrick's Octopus (Clarion, 1979), which tells the life cycle of a female octopus in story format, appeals to a slightly older audience. --Eunice Weech, M. L. King Elementary School, Urbana, IL
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
Patricia Lauber is the author of more than sixty-five books for young readers. Many of them are in the field of science, and their range reflects the diversity of her own interests-bats, dolphins, dogs, volcanoes, earthquakes, the ice ages, the Everglades, the planets, earthworms. Two of her books, SEEDS: POP STICK GLIDE and JOURNEY TO THE PLANETS, were nonfiction nominees for The American Book Awards. She was the 1983 winner of The Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for her overall contribution to children's nonfiction literature.

As well as writing books, Ms. Lauber has been editor of Junior Scholastic, editor-in-chief of Science World, and chief editor, science and mathematics, of The New Book of Knowledge

A graduate of Wellesley College, she is married and lives in Connecticut. When not writing, she enjoys hiking, sailing, traveling, cooking, reading, and listening to music.

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Customer Reviews

Sparks Interest in Octopuses at Young Ages
I checked this book out for my 4 year old (and 2 year old twins) since our booklist recommended it for studying the letter "o". We thought it was interesting and fabulous. We enjoyed the illustrations and the facts. We happened to have also checked out an octopus puppet with which we made up our own stories based on the facts we learned from the book. I found it interesting enough that I guess I hadn't realized that there wasn't a plot. I guess fact is better than fiction!

Octopus's Garden
I liked this book because I learned alot of facts. The pictures were really cool and I liked learning how they disguise themselves and how the mother octopus lays here eggs near her den where she can watch them. It is sad because she dies after the babies hatch. I recommmend this book for all ages.

some amazing facts, but visually dull.
Lauber's _An Octopus is Amazing_ is a decent introductory book on the topic, probably best suited to children aged 4-8. There are no photographs. The book is illustrated on each page with color drawings. The drawing on the book cover is indicative of the quality of the drawings throughout. It's a bit cartoonish.

There is little organization to the subject matter. Instead, the author just presents one (probably "amazing") fact after another, such as: octopuses change color, octopuses can lay 200,000 eggs, etc.

I think most children, if given the opportunity to pick another book on the subject, might not choose this one, simply because there are no color photographs. Still, it's a decent guide to the subject for young readers and the even younger read-to children. The amazing facts in this book just might prompt them to seek out other octopus books. That wouldn't be so very amazing.