An Octopus Named Houdini

by Zana Fraillon, Corinna Luyken (Illustrator)

Odder meets Growing Home in this beautiful, illustrated middle grade novel in verse about an octopus named Houdini, her unexpected friendship with the aquarium owner’s daughter, and her deep yearning to return to the sea.

All day long we can hear
that Sea howl prowling wild
inside our brains and every part of us is straining
to feel it taste it twirl it whirl it swirl it
inside our body
again.

Houdini the octopus lives in an aquarium, but she misses her home in the wild Sea. She doesn’t like the visitors who bang on her tank. Or the way she can’t feel the sun on her skin or the wind rippling the water. It’s a dull existence for a creature with nine brains.

Then one day she meets someone who is different than the others. Juno’s busy brain buzzes with so many questions and thoughts that Houdini’s skin tingles with wonder.

But the singing of the Sea is growing stronger and harder to resist. Can Houdini make Juno understand what she needs before it’s too late?

160 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 20, 2026

About the author

Zana Fraillon is an internationally acclaimed, multi-award-winning author of books for children and young adults. Her work has been published in over 15 countries and is in development for both stage and screen. She has also had pieces published in The Big Issue, The Guardian, Island Magazine, Dark Mountain, Abridged and Sans.Press.

Zana has degrees in history and teaching and having completed her PhD exploring future ancestorship and everyday engagement with voices from our deep past, she is now officially a doctor of ghosts.

When Zana isn't reading or writing, she likes to explore the museums and hidden passageways scattered across her home city. They provide the same excitement as that moment before opening a new book - preparing to step into the unknown where a whole world of possibilities awaits.

Reviews

[DianaRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

full review tk closer to pub day but this was such a wholesome and beautiful novel in verse 🐙🩵

——

i love a novel in verse for young readers, and i can’t wait to dive into this one🐙

[Abigail Beckwith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's "An Octopus Named Houdini." It was written by Zana Fraillon and illustrated by Corinna Luyken.

["All day long we can hear
that Sea howl prowling wild
inside our brains and every part of us is straining
to feel it taste it twirl it whirl it swirl it
inside our body
again.

Houdini the octopus lives in an aquarium, but she misses her home in the wild Sea. She doesn’t like the visitors who bang on her tank. Or the way she can’t feel the sun on her skin or the wind rippling the water. It’s a dull existence for a creature with nine brains.

Then one day she meets someone who is different than the others. Juno’s busy brain buzzes with so many questions and thoughts that Houdini’s skin tingles with wonder.

But the singing of the Sea is growing stronger and harder to resist. Can Houdini make Juno understand what she needs before it’s too late?"]

This book was beautiful. It was equal parts powerful and devastating. It was informative and inspiring. It was, I'm told, reminiscent of "Remarkably Bright Creatures."

This book was about finding home and getting home and being home. It was about found family but also about freedom. It was about temporary safety but the dangerous choices leading to freedom winning out. It was about sympathy and empathy. It was about your heart not listening to your head.

It was also a novel in verse, and it flowed (ha, pun not originally intended). It was slow at first, but as soon as we met Juno, the book picked up. After that, I couldn't put it down.

#anoctopusnamedhoudini #zanafraillon #corinnaluyken #books #childrensbooks #middlegradenovel #novelsinverse #middlegradepoetry #picturebooks #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my! Wow. I am gob-smacked. Completely entranced. (And, sadly, not nearly as poetic as every line of this mesmerizing novel.) I've never read a novel-in-verse quite like this one. Each page has a title and eight lines of verse. The lines of verse vary in length and style, some long and flowing, others terse and tight. I've found that many novels-in-verse are more about the story development and less about the individual poems on the page--this remarkable book weaves both together absolutely perfectly. At the risk of being dramatic, I can feel the ebb and flow of the water and the movement of Houdini, the octopus, through both the verse and the story. One of my favorite verses is "People Aquariums" (p. 16.) Houdini is thinking about what it would be like for all the animals that would eat people, instead must watch and learn to love them. Such lovely poetic lines with so much soft, silky sibilance, when called for. Like from "Another Way" (p. 93): "We watch from our den as Joe drifts in/moving along to his own silent song . . ." And the illustrations! Perfectly placed. It was a lovely surprise to turn the page and see Juno leaning over the tank in a full spread on the left side (p. 57.) This is a book I will not forget. I'll be watching for awards next year. Completely and totally breathtaking. Ten stars. Thank you #schoollibraryjournal #slj for this ARC. I am amazed.

[Cynthia Nunez- Plante · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This is a middle grade book that I read and really enjoyed. It’s such a touching, easy-to-read story about Juno, a little girl who befriends a sometimes grumpy but very intelligent octopus named Houdini. Their sweet friendship and shared loneliness made my heart ache in the best way, and just being next to each other brings them so much comfort. I won’t spoil the ending, but I loved it—just read it. As someone who loves octopuses, I was so thrilled to dive into this one, and I especially loved that the book closes with fun octopus facts. The author says the whole story started as a dream she had about being an octopus, which is honestly the kind of dream I wish I had lol. An Octopus Named Houdini by Zana Fraillon is a middle grade novel in verse for ages 8–12, about 160 pages, and perfect for animal-loving readers who want something heartfelt but super accessible. Thanks to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for the gifted advance reader’s copy. An Octopus Named Houdini (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers) publishes October 20, 2026."

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Did you know...? We've learned so much about these amazing creatures, not only it has lots of facts at the end, we learn some of them during the story as well. 9 brains? Lived long before humans existed. This in verse fiction story tells us how an octopus wants to be listened, and return home, and sometimes not all humans are bad and lack empathy, sometimes they know exactly what is to be caged, to not be heard and how to break the rules to do the right thing. Juno has this amazing idea: to create an aquarium tank where the octopuses can leave and return when they want. We were happy to know such tank exists in real life.
I am also glad the community came to the aquarium rescue.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

It can be very challenging to take a story we already know and re-present it. Oftentimes, variants get “watered down” over time. With each new presentation adding little detail, depth or perspective. Delightfully, such is not the case here. Fraillion’s research and “argument” and strong and the structure and format are fresh.

I love a good Octobook (have read dozens) and this is a standout.

Illustrated. Verse. Facts. Fiction.

Ages 6-10

Note: My ARC did not have Luyken’s final illustrations, so this could easily bump up the stars when I see the finished copy.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

EARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
This is a fascinating story that will leave readers pondering the intelligence of animals and the effects of artificial enclosures when they are housed in museums and zoos.

[Sami ❤️ fallinginlovewithreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute story written in verse. Longer review to come! Thank you Simon kids for the ARC.