OCTOPUS SHOCKTOPUS!

How odd to have a giant octopus sitting on your house!

One day, a family in a seaside town hears a bump and goes outside to see a huge pink octopus sitting on their roof. “Our neighbor Mrs. Antrobus / said, ‘I don’t like that octopus! / An octopus just looks all wrong. / An octopus does not belong.’ ” Mrs. Antrobus calls in the fire brigade, but they can’t shift it. At first the octopus seems bored, but when the kids and their friends ask it to play, the octopus gladly joins in, playing catch and soccer. It turns out humongous octopuses make great slides and wash lines, and they are handy for rescuing kites and painting fences (at the same time). It even wins over Mrs. Antrobus when it saves her cat. Through autumn and winter (and even Christmas), the octopus stays and helps out; everyone loves it (though the local baker would rather have a squid). And everyone is sad when it disappears…but soon it returns with a wonderful surprise for the whole town! This charmingly silly British import features bouncy, rhyming text that will enchant readers. Enhancing the narrative are colorful, detailed cartoon illustrations. Characters are diverse throughout. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Certain to have everyone wishing for a cephalopodic chum.