Nonfiction book on aquarium life fans of Adorabilis ( )

Inky the Octopus is an exciting book inspired by actual events. It is about an octopus who had dreams to be outside of the aquarium. One day those dreams come true when Inky escapes into the sea. What I love about the book is the illustration. The rhyming words in the book helps children guess words that are coming up. The book teaches children that they can do anything they put their minds to and dreams do come true. I believe that makes this book extra special to me. ( )

Inky is an octopus living in an aquarium. He feels the call of the open sea, and wants to go free to see what is out there. He is able to sneak out one night when his tank is left open, just a bit, and squeeze through a drain out to the ocean. AS the story ends, you see him enjoying his new life in the sea.

This story is based on the real-life escape of an octopus from the New Zealand aquarium, and is told from Inky's point of view. This is like a real life Finding Dory with a happy ending. The illustrations are amazing. They are so colourful and show what life at the bottom of the ocean looks like in a way that will enchant children. The emotions shown in Inky's eyes show his happiness at escaping to the real world. The rhyming text tells the story in a way that is interesting and with a cadence that is easy to read and listen too.

Back matter includes the details of the real escape and Inky's photo. There are also octopus facts and a bibliography. This would make a great story when studying ocean animals, animal adaptations, as well as when discussing animals in captivity and animal rescues. It is also just a cute story for those who enjoy animal stories in general. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. ( )

Through gorgeous artwork and charming poetry with a hint of rhyme, Inky the Octopus tells the story of Inky, a curious octopus resident at the National Aquarium of New Zealand. This clever creature escaped one night, when his tank lid had been accidentally left loose. It is believed that Inky escaped back to the sea. He had come to the aquarium after having been found injured, and it seems he longed to return home once recovered!

At the end of the book is a brief section recapping the true story of Inky and his escape, followed by a page about other unusual octopi. There's Otto, who would short circuit the lights by squirting water at them, Flo, who unscrewed a valve and flooded her tank with sea water, and Sid, who tried escaping so many times the aquarium decided to release him back to the sea. That same aquarium was also home to Harry, another Houdini octopus who would leave his tank and visit a neighboring tank to dine on crayfish. This fellow was so clever he would put the tank lids back perfectly, leaving workers to puzzle over the mysteriously vanishing crayfish! Lastly, there is a section with neat facts about these clever critters, and their closest kin- squid and nautilus.

This book is too adorable for words! The artwork is stunning! I read this with my cubs, and it became a fast favourite, right up there with Little Moon by Megan Padalecki. It also became a fav with Uncle Niall, who loves squid and octopi. This is a book we will definitely be adding to our collection in hardcover. Perfect for the child interested in nature and sea life.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Jabberwocky for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )