MeomiBesprekingen

The octonauts are weeeeeeeird.

My 4 year old bonus son has just gotten into this tv show, so I bought him a book to go along with his new found joy! In this volume, shadows and shade have disappeared, and the Octonauts try to figure out what happened! Cute story, with the 'long' pages being my favorite (you have to turn the book sideways!). The Octonauts description at the back of the book was super helpful for this Papa! I especially enjoyed the description of Kwazii and his “mysterious pirate past”! When do we get that origin story? :-)

I give this 3 stars, but the four year old would give it a full 5!

This is adorable, aaah.

If you read one Octonauts book, read this one - the point is more clear and more valuable (but it's still just plain cute).

You really have to just let yourself be young at heart to enjoy these. I do think this, the first, is my favorite.

Something about this didn't work as well for me as the other Octonauts books I've read. My advice for the whole series is, don't buy it until you've gotten a copy from the library to see what you're getting into.

Ok, the plot isn't much - and more than one book at a time of all this sugar would be too much - but I challenge you not to smile at the artwork & characters.

In this Octonaut adventure, the intrepid crew are heading for a vacation, but find another adventure awaiting them instead. The Great Reef City does not live up to its reputation; the inhabitants are all missing, and the city is bleached white. Captain Barnacles takes the team out to explore, but as they search for clues in the city, ghostly noises surround them. The illustrations show cute, translucent creatures floating around them, just out of sight. Eventually, they find the last resident of Great Reef City, an old turtle named Mr. Slowstache. He tells them that when he first moved to the city, it was a vibrant and colorful place, but as more animals moved in and more buildings went up, the coral beneath the city began to turn white and brittle. Eventually, everyone returned to their old homes and left Great Reef City abandoned.

The Octonauts offer to help Mr. Slowstache move his possession to a new home. They search several promising locations, such as sandy dunes at the beach, a mangrove forest, and seagrass meadows. Sadly, Mr. Slowstache isn't satisfied with any of his options. He realizes that his reef was a truly special place. If they can't find him a new home, the Octonauts will just need to fix the one he wants. Lucky for them, Shellington has solved the mystery. The coral is alive, and all the buildings and pollution are killing it. And the ghosts aren't ghosts at all, but algae that are starving without their coral, and thus look pale and spooky.

The gang work on cleaning up the Great Reef City, and with the help of other sea creatures the job is soon done. In a short time, the coral is bursting with color and beauty, the city has reverted to its natural look without all the buildings and streets, and everyone is happy. The story blends the whimsical and slightly absurd, as do previous Octonaut books I have read, but this one includes an educational component lacking from other books. It teaches children about the importance of caring for coral and the ocean environment. I love the art, which is quirky and adorable, and find the stories to be fun. To be honest, I prefer the fantastical adventure in Sea of Shade or The Only Lonely Monster over this more straightforward quest, but it's still an enjoyable read. This story will appeal to many young readers, beyond just the fans of the television show inspired by these books.½

Another quiet day under the water, until the Octo-alert summons the Octonauts from their various activities. They join Professor Inkling in the HQ and discover that their Octopod is under attack! Captain Barnacles, Kwazii, and Peso dash to their gups and head outside, ramming into the large octopus-like creature that is grappling their ship. Whereupon the poor thing begins to cry, and the Octonauts realize that the animal isn't an enemy at all.

They talk to the lonely monster, who gives a brief story of his life. He woke up alone, and though he searched for friends, everyone he met ran away. He couldn't find anyone like him, either. The Octonauts decide to set out on another adventure, helping the lonely monster to search for his family. They look north, east, south, and west, but no animal has any news for them. They pause their search when Professor Inkling summons them home, where he informs them that he discovered the nature of their new friend, an Architeuthis Colosso Nutopus. Unfortunately, he is the only one in the whole ocean. The only lonely monster is consoled when he realizes that he has eight new friends, and he never need be lonely again.

The Octonaut picture books are a treasure. They are fun adventures under the sea, merging reality and fantasy, and throwing in a good dose of silly. The Lonely Monster is another original picture book that inspired the television series, so don't expect a derivative story based on the tv show. This story is original. The Octonauts are just as cute as in their Disney franchise, but they have more distinguished personalities in the books. The illustrations interact with the text to create a more powerful story. For example, when the Octonauts search in the north, the pictures are formatted normally, but the south requires readers to flip the book upside down, and the east and west are meant to be read on their sides. In other words, you turn the book to the east, then the south, then the west. Clever. In addition, the book teaches kids without being preachy. The message is about embracing individuality, and also accepting friendship as a counter to isolation. Adults will enjoy the whimsical adventure and little jokes, visual and textual - at least, I certainly did. Kids will be entranced by the characters and the story. This picture book is an excellent example of a story for the whole family.½

The Octonauts are quietly engaged in favorite activities when the octo-alert rouses them to the command room. Tweak greets them in a panic. Her shadow just disappeared! Looking around, the others discover that all the shadows are missing. Professor Inkling pulls out the Mysterious Places Guide, and advises the Octonauts to visit the Shade King in the Sea of Shade in order to discover the solution to this mystery. After a plucky adventure down the darkish rift, through the olde fangled caves, across the Sea of Shade, and beyond the bramblywoods, the Octonauts arrive at the imposing Shade Castle. Captain Barnacles, Kwazii. Peso, and Tweak must try to convince the irritated ruler to allow the shadows to return to their rightful places in the outside world.

A whimsical and charming adventure under the ocean. The watery world is a fantastic amalgam of real and imaginary aquatic life. The story is just suspenseful enough for young readers, and the plot is light-hearted. The message is quirky - no one really mistreats their shadows, we don't really need a shadow ambassador program. But it's funny, and the shadows are so lovable. Almost as cute as the Octonauts. In addition, the illustrations are bright, cartoony, and very attractive. The authors play around with format as another visual technique; for example, when the Octonauts descend the darkish rift readers have to hold the book on its side, emphasizing a long vertical descent. The font of the book is altered for special effects, and dialogue bubbles and sound effects add an oral component to the story.

The book is a silly and adorable read. It also conveys positive messages about friendship and teamwork, and innocent adventures perfect for children. In the world of picture books, it's a real treat to find one that is original and fully developed, as is this one. My daughters love it. Parents will love it, too: this is one of the books that inspired the popular Disney series, not a derivative picture book based on a TV show. Expect quality writing and development, not a hasty book scrawled off to capitalize on popularity. The original Octonaut book series is a wonderful find, and my family loves the book even more than the show.

"the Frown Fish ate an entire plate of cookies, but he still looked unsatisfied."

True to Meomi form, this book is another under the sea adventure for readers of all ages.

"Err...try the North Pole!"

The Octonauts are back again, this time to help a lonely sea monster find others like him. This book takes you on a journey around the compass of the different seas in search for another sea monster.

I love Professor Inkling's scientific ways of explaining things, it makes for a great togue tie during a story time!

"The crew looked around-outside, inside, upside, and downside. Shadows everywhere were indeed missing!"

Very beautifully illustrated children's picture book with a cute story and adorable critters. My daughter loves it. Added bonus - I like it too.