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Octopus Alone
Octopus loves living on the busy reef under the sea. From her cozy cave, she can see clown fish, and sea turtles, and little butterflies swimming by. She especially loves watching the seahorses having fun, wiggling and twirling. Sometimes she will play with them, but occasionally Octopus just wants to be alone, somewhere quiet, and not so busy. So one day, she swims far, far beyond the reef and finds another cozy cave, only here she is perfectly, wonderfully alone. It is exactly what she wanted . . . until she’s ready to go back home to be with her friends.
As she did in Little Owl's Night, Divya Srinivasan shows children a wonderful part of the natural world in a very warm-hearted way.
As she did in Little Owl's Night, Divya Srinivasan shows children a wonderful part of the natural world in a very warm-hearted way.
40 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 16, 2013
5 people are currently reading
259 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
July 5, 2020
2020-07: I needed something pretty and sweet to look at. This book fit the bill!
2018-07: I love Divya Srinivasan's illustrations, and had been looking for this book for quite some time -- yay for libraries! Octopus is shy and learns to accept her desire for time alone, while also appreciating the busy and lively lives of her neighbours at her reef.
The story is very simple, but is also compelling. This story would have been a powerful and positive statement to my five-year old self.
2018-07: I love Divya Srinivasan's illustrations, and had been looking for this book for quite some time -- yay for libraries! Octopus is shy and learns to accept her desire for time alone, while also appreciating the busy and lively lives of her neighbours at her reef.
The story is very simple, but is also compelling. This story would have been a powerful and positive statement to my five-year old self.
October 14, 2020
Shy Octopus watches the other inhabitants of the coral reef she calls home in this lovely picture-book, but isn't sure she wants to interact that closely with them. Alarmed when the friendly seahorses come calling, she changes her color to camouflage herself, and flees the reef for a more peaceful part of the ocean. After encountering a crabbing boat and a giant whale, she finds just what she is looking for, and enjoys some time by herself. Eventually though, she finds herself missing the company of the other inhabitants of the reef...
Having enjoyed all three of author/illustrator Divya Srinivasan's delightful picture-books about Little Owl - Little Owl's Night , Little Owl's Day and Little Owl's Snow - I was quite excited to discover that she had also created a book about an octopus! Being a lover of all things octopode, I immediately sought out Octopus Alone, and (predictably) found it charming. The artwork is every bit as appealing as in the Little Owl books, with vibrant colors that pop off the page, backgrounds that are themselves beautifully colored, and stylized figures that are immensely appealing. I particularly liked the fold-out page showing the massive whale. The story itself is likewise engaging, highlighting the fact that while shy and/or introverted creatures (and children) may seek time alone, they also need companionship. Recommended to young octopus lovers, and to fans of Srinivasan's distinctive artwork.
Having enjoyed all three of author/illustrator Divya Srinivasan's delightful picture-books about Little Owl - Little Owl's Night , Little Owl's Day and Little Owl's Snow - I was quite excited to discover that she had also created a book about an octopus! Being a lover of all things octopode, I immediately sought out Octopus Alone, and (predictably) found it charming. The artwork is every bit as appealing as in the Little Owl books, with vibrant colors that pop off the page, backgrounds that are themselves beautifully colored, and stylized figures that are immensely appealing. I particularly liked the fold-out page showing the massive whale. The story itself is likewise engaging, highlighting the fact that while shy and/or introverted creatures (and children) may seek time alone, they also need companionship. Recommended to young octopus lovers, and to fans of Srinivasan's distinctive artwork.
January 24, 2014
I came upon this book while working in the library, and the attractive cover illustration made me take a peek inside. I ended up reading the whole book, and greatly enjoyed it. The illustrations are rich and colorful, and the story is unique. Although most picture books about friendship portray a bunch of animals hanging out and having fun, this one shows a shy octopus who is frightened or annoyed by different marine life creatures. In the end, she goes off to be by herself, and then realizes that perhaps being alone is not as ideal as she thought. When she returns, she is able to find the friendly and outgoing seahorses much nicer than she thought.
The book is beautiful and well-crafted, and would be a great teaching opportunity for a small child. The rhythmic, flowing prose contains all kinds of fabulous vocabulary words, and the story provides a great starting point for talking to children about introversion. The character of Octopus will help a shy child to understand that it is really all right to be alone sometimes, and can teach a more social child that when a friend of theirs wants to be alone, they are not rejecting them. I appreciated the helpful, gentle messages and the beautiful illustrations, and would recommend this as a quality picture book.
The book is beautiful and well-crafted, and would be a great teaching opportunity for a small child. The rhythmic, flowing prose contains all kinds of fabulous vocabulary words, and the story provides a great starting point for talking to children about introversion. The character of Octopus will help a shy child to understand that it is really all right to be alone sometimes, and can teach a more social child that when a friend of theirs wants to be alone, they are not rejecting them. I appreciated the helpful, gentle messages and the beautiful illustrations, and would recommend this as a quality picture book.
May 14, 2023
Several elements of this book are excellent, and the story is pretty good too. Labeling all the fish on the cover boards and referencing specific species by name in the story was super cool for my saltwater fish aquarium family 🐠 It’s goes without saying that Srinivasan’s illustrations are super!
The storyline may be a touch wandering and vague, but I think a child can adequately grasp that even though it’s good to be alone sometimes, even introverts benefit from the company of others; perhaps extroverted children would also gain some insight into their introverted friends. A helpful topic not many books cover. If my introvert daughter asks to read this often enough, I’ll buy a copy.
The storyline may be a touch wandering and vague, but I think a child can adequately grasp that even though it’s good to be alone sometimes, even introverts benefit from the company of others; perhaps extroverted children would also gain some insight into their introverted friends. A helpful topic not many books cover. If my introvert daughter asks to read this often enough, I’ll buy a copy.
February 1, 2019
The best part of this book is learning about different sea creatures. Children might not be familiar with many of the creatures but this gives them a fun picture and teaches them the names. The story itself is just ok.
June 14, 2013
What a delightfully surprising book! Octopus Alone was at the bottom of my pile this week, but it turned out to be a well-paced and well-told story about the necessity of being along sometimes. Kids will enjoy reading about Octopus; she is likable, albeit shy, and she learns that being alone can quickly become loneliness, and that it's okay to want to play with friends, too.
The illustrations will keep young readers busy! The under the sea world is bright and carries an aqua-sheen reminiscent of Finding Nemo. There are so many sea creatures to name and spot on each page. Even finding Octopus when she camouflages would be fun. Plus, the fold out page of the whale is pretty cool.
I would use this book in the classroom with primary grades to talk about feelings, especially if the students were dealing with isolation from peers. It could also be a fiction science link for sea animals. Lastly, inference could be an interesting focus skill for this book; taking what we know about fishing and what could be seen in the illustration, what resulted when Octopus squeezed herself out of the crab cage?
There are a lot of possibilities with Octopus Alone, but most of all, it is an enjoyable and appropriate story that many kids will love.
The illustrations will keep young readers busy! The under the sea world is bright and carries an aqua-sheen reminiscent of Finding Nemo. There are so many sea creatures to name and spot on each page. Even finding Octopus when she camouflages would be fun. Plus, the fold out page of the whale is pretty cool.
I would use this book in the classroom with primary grades to talk about feelings, especially if the students were dealing with isolation from peers. It could also be a fiction science link for sea animals. Lastly, inference could be an interesting focus skill for this book; taking what we know about fishing and what could be seen in the illustration, what resulted when Octopus squeezed herself out of the crab cage?
There are a lot of possibilities with Octopus Alone, but most of all, it is an enjoyable and appropriate story that many kids will love.
July 8, 2013
Octopus is shy and prefers to spend time by herself, but three seahorses are fascinated by everything she does and crave nothing more than to be around her. When at last she gets the space she desires she finds herself wondering what the seahorses are up to.
I liked that this story featured real facts octopus facts woven into the storyline.
Vibrant digital artwork does a great job of setting each scene and include a menagerie of sea creatures.
The only thing that was a little strange for me was the pacing, which is why I would struggle to read this title aloud. It seemed like it took the octopus a little too long to achieve her solitude and a little too long to remedy it.
Overall, the dreamy seascape mesmerized me and I really liked reading a story with an octopus as the main character. PreK-2.
I liked that this story featured real facts octopus facts woven into the storyline.
Vibrant digital artwork does a great job of setting each scene and include a menagerie of sea creatures.
The only thing that was a little strange for me was the pacing, which is why I would struggle to read this title aloud. It seemed like it took the octopus a little too long to achieve her solitude and a little too long to remedy it.
Overall, the dreamy seascape mesmerized me and I really liked reading a story with an octopus as the main character. PreK-2.
October 24, 2020
A reread, apparently.
An accurate depiction of being shy. Octopus sees the other sea creatures playing, and, though she's nervous, she wants to play too. But when they pay attention to her, she hides.
An accurate depiction of being shy. Octopus sees the other sea creatures playing, and, though she's nervous, she wants to play too. But when they pay attention to her, she hides.
January 8, 2015
I could relate to the octopus, but I liked the artwork the most. Emma also enjoyed the octopus blending into the background!
January 3, 2016
Strange - but my listener liked it
June 12, 2013
Shy octopus has an adventure in this beautifully illustrated story.
July 11, 2018
Octopus enjoys being alone. So when seahorses come into her cave and want to play with her she leaves and tries to get away from others. But everywhere she goes the seahorses want to play with her. Eventually she swims far enough that she is alone; the only other being around is a whale. She finds a quiet cave to sleep. When she wakes up she finds that she misses the business of the reef with the others. When she gets back the seahorses are glad to see her, and she them.
September 20, 2018
Lovely artwork. The text stumbles here and there. I am not sure about the sequence with the whale, it seems mainly there so there can be a page that folds out (upward) to emphasize the whale's size. But this is charming, and gently points out that sometimes it's okay to be alone and happy that way, and that a loner can also enjoy having friends!
August 1, 2019
A beautifully illustrated read-aloud or read-along for older kids. Too much going on (and too quiet) for a group storytime, but would be perfect for a one-on-one read, especially at bedtime. Soft, gentle, and lovely colours. Octopus learns that she can be her introverted self and still find friendship and belonging.
August 4, 2019
I absolutely love Srinivasan's illustrations but her story pacing is not the strongest in Octopus alone. It was an enjoyable read for my son though and the inclusion of the flip out page was a nice touch. As an introvert myself, it was nice to see a character okay with being alone in a picture book.
February 9, 2021
This would have been 5, but the story itself wasn’t perfect. I didn’t know the Octopus had friends until the end, so that felt abrupt. Otherwise... I loved the illustrations SO much. They’re so beautiful and mesmerizing with color, shape, and movement. Even before the book starts, the illustrations on the inside covers are fun to peruse.
January 13, 2026
Octopus is shy and doesn't want to be noticed. When she gets noticed, she runs away. After some time on her own, she realizes that she misses the other fish. This is a nice book to introduce a discussion on the topic of introversion/extroversion and the benefits of recognizing what you need and pursuing that. A nice story time read aloud.
October 6, 2018
Octopus is shy and doesn't play with other animals. The seahorses try to play with her. She uses her camouflage to blend and hide. She decides to swim farther in the ocean and ends up alone in a cave. She misses her home and gets brave enough to play with the others.
December 11, 2018
A beautifully illustrated picture book. There are lots of realistic types of animals in the story and behaviors that are true to life. The octopus's story shows that it is okay to want to be alone at times and it's okay to want to be with people at other times. A nice message for kids.
August 20, 2019
This is a great book that teaches children all sorts of interesting concepts in a neat way. It covers zoology, unexpected friendship, and overcoming shyness and isolation all while remaining empathetic and beautifully illustrated. It's also a short "o" sound, so I've got to add it to my must list.
February 13, 2021
An octopus thinks she wants to be left alone, but once she gets some solitude, she realizes that she misses her friends and returns with more gratefulness for the lively area of the ocean where she lives.
May 18, 2021
A cute story about an octopus who’s shy and wants to be alone... but comes to appreciate her friends (without having to change into an outgoing person, I mean cephalopod). I read this to a group of 5yos and they were into it!
August 11, 2021
Shy octopus wants to be alone, so she swims far away from her cave in the populous reef. After enjoying a bit of solitude, she decides to go back home to be with her friends again. Colorful pages are filled with illustrations of sea life.
November 15, 2025
A little octopus who likes being alone discovers the joy of friendship. This gentle story shows it's OK to want both time alone and time with others.
The end papers name the animals that are featured in the illustrations.
The end papers name the animals that are featured in the illustrations.
September 8, 2017
Everyone needs some alone time sometimes, even octopuses.
November 16, 2017
I like the art and feel this is an okay option to consider for a future storytime with an ocean theme.
March 24, 2018
Lovely book about a shy octopus. <3
August 14, 2018
Boring kid's book about octopus and deep water for toddler ish level
November 8, 2018
Cute pictures, cute idea (an introvert octopus!), but didn't really do anything for me. The story just doesn't work. Meh.
November 13, 2018
Octopus is shy and just trying to keep to himself, but those pesky sea horses won’t leave him alone!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews