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If I Had an Octopus
From the duo behind the bestselling If I Had series, a humorous and entertaining tale celebrating octopuses. Have you ever thought about what the best aquatic pet would be? It’s an octopus, of course! When a little girl fantasizes about having a crazy smart octopus pet, she pictures jumping rope with its tentacles, practicing different ball games simultaneously, and playing hide-and-seek with her camouflaging friend (just look out for the ink!). With vibrant illustrations and playful rhymes, If I Had an Octopus is a laugh-out-loud story celebrating friendship between a child and her octopus. From the duo behind If I Had a Dinosaur , If I Had a Sleepy Sloth , and If I Had a Unicorn , Gabby Dawnay and Alex Barrow’s latest is a charming and imaginative tale about our favorite eight-armed creature. Illustrated in color throughout
32 pages, Hardcover
Published April 13, 2021
35 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 13, 2021
Soooo cute. What would it be if you did have an octopus! 🐙❤️ I loved seeing her other choices and see her land on the Octopus. To which she proceeds to tell all the advantages if you had such an animal. It has so many arms (so many options and so many things it can hold), it is supersmart, and it can cuddle and play. Now I want an octopus as well, haha. Your fantasies sold me. I loved the ending though I would have kinda liked to see an octopus somewhere in the bedroom.
The illustrations are pretty and I love the colours used.
The illustrations are pretty and I love the colours used.
April 23, 2022
I liked this book because of the excellent text paired with delightful, clear (not overly done or noisy) illustrations. It would be an ideal book for buy for a curious preschooler! + a sweet surprise ending.
April 14, 2021
The duo behind If I Had a Dinosaur, If I Had a Sleepy Sloth, and If I Had a Unicorn are back at it! Gabby Dawnay and Alex Barrow have struck gold again with the fourth installment in the “If I Had A” series, If I Had An Octopus.
In If I Had An Octopus we follow our familiar narrator, a young Black girl who imagines what it would be like to have an outlandish pet. Just like the previous titles, this book is packed with imagination, as we learn all the adventures a young girl would take if she only had a pet octopus. The lyrical text makes it a perfect read-aloud sure to entertain young readers.
The illustrations by Alex Barrow are absolutely adorable and perfectly capture all the hijinks our narrator and her imaginary pet get into — from silly multitasking to eight-legged hugs.
I really appreciated that If I Had An Octopus included a few interesting facts about octopi that readers (young and old) may not know. I for one didn’t know that an octopus has three hearts until I read this book. You learn something new every day!
Gabby Dawnay is a best-selling author based in London. To learn more about her and her work, please visit her website at gabbydawnay.blogspot.com.
Alex Barrow is an illustrator, art director, and regular contributor to OKIDO magazine. Please visit his website alexbarrow.co.uk to learn more about him and his work.
I would like to thank Thames & Hudson for providing me with a review copy of this book. I am so pleased to see this series continue!
In If I Had An Octopus we follow our familiar narrator, a young Black girl who imagines what it would be like to have an outlandish pet. Just like the previous titles, this book is packed with imagination, as we learn all the adventures a young girl would take if she only had a pet octopus. The lyrical text makes it a perfect read-aloud sure to entertain young readers.
The illustrations by Alex Barrow are absolutely adorable and perfectly capture all the hijinks our narrator and her imaginary pet get into — from silly multitasking to eight-legged hugs.
I really appreciated that If I Had An Octopus included a few interesting facts about octopi that readers (young and old) may not know. I for one didn’t know that an octopus has three hearts until I read this book. You learn something new every day!
Gabby Dawnay is a best-selling author based in London. To learn more about her and her work, please visit her website at gabbydawnay.blogspot.com.
Alex Barrow is an illustrator, art director, and regular contributor to OKIDO magazine. Please visit his website alexbarrow.co.uk to learn more about him and his work.
I would like to thank Thames & Hudson for providing me with a review copy of this book. I am so pleased to see this series continue!
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May 21, 2021
Gabby Dawnay and illustrator Alex Barrow have once again teamed up to create a fourth title – If I Had An Octopus –to add to their If I Had A Dinosaur, If I Had A Sleepy Sloth, and If I Had A Unicorn series of picture books.
What would be your perfect pet? That’s the question a little girl must answer.
Dolphins are too grand. Jellyfish are too wobbly. Crabs? Nope too many claws. Our young storyteller wants a clever pet with many charms and lots of arms!
Her perfect pet is…an OCTOPUS!
Vivid colors and lively action with every turn of the page makes the case as the little girl discovers the fun of simultaneously engaging in multiple sports or creating a musical afternoon with a variety of instruments thanks to her eight-legged friend. And, of course, an octopus would be a great asset in the kitchen.
Dawney cleverly incorporates facts about the octopus into the imaginative storyline – octopuses have no bones and fit through tiny openings, they squirt ink when frightened, and they can nearly disappear thanks to their remarkable ability to camouflage themselves – making this story an ideal read for introducing a study of ocean life for young scholars ages 3 and up.
The rhyming text adds another layer of charm for reading aloud.
If I Had An Octopus would be a delightful addition to any picture book collection.
What would be your perfect pet? That’s the question a little girl must answer.
Dolphins are too grand. Jellyfish are too wobbly. Crabs? Nope too many claws. Our young storyteller wants a clever pet with many charms and lots of arms!
Her perfect pet is…an OCTOPUS!
Vivid colors and lively action with every turn of the page makes the case as the little girl discovers the fun of simultaneously engaging in multiple sports or creating a musical afternoon with a variety of instruments thanks to her eight-legged friend. And, of course, an octopus would be a great asset in the kitchen.
Dawney cleverly incorporates facts about the octopus into the imaginative storyline – octopuses have no bones and fit through tiny openings, they squirt ink when frightened, and they can nearly disappear thanks to their remarkable ability to camouflage themselves – making this story an ideal read for introducing a study of ocean life for young scholars ages 3 and up.
The rhyming text adds another layer of charm for reading aloud.
If I Had An Octopus would be a delightful addition to any picture book collection.
August 6, 2021
If you've read the other books in this series, you know what to expect. And If I Had an Octopus doesn't let you down. Beginning like the others, a little girl contemplates the benefits of different marine pets, ultimately choosing an octopus for its intelligence, camouflage, bonelessness, and triple hearts. Combining fact with imagination, the little girl – who reminds me of Madeline in her blue dress and yellow cap – whisks readers away into her fantasy of painting, cooking, and snuggling with a giant octopus. I like how the fusion of fact and fiction encourages imagination. Of course you can't have a giant octopus as a pet, but wouldn't it be fun if...? Me, I'd like a wombat for a pet.
Emergent readers will find If I Had an Octopus accessible – Dawnay's sentences incorporate Barrow's illustrations in place of key words like shrimp, shark, or whale. T is 6 now, but continues to enjoy this series. It is one he has enjoyed since If I Had a Sleepy Sloth, and I think the familiarity is both fun and comfortable. No favorite pet has been selected, however.
Mom: I thought you'd probably want an octopus for a pet to help you with your sums.
Son: Yes, please!
Emergent readers will find If I Had an Octopus accessible – Dawnay's sentences incorporate Barrow's illustrations in place of key words like shrimp, shark, or whale. T is 6 now, but continues to enjoy this series. It is one he has enjoyed since If I Had a Sleepy Sloth, and I think the familiarity is both fun and comfortable. No favorite pet has been selected, however.
Mom: I thought you'd probably want an octopus for a pet to help you with your sums.
Son: Yes, please!
January 6, 2022
‘Had ik maar een octopus’ is een prentenboek van Gabby Dawnay en Alex Barrow, vertaald door Bette Westera.
De omslag van dit boek had mijn aandacht gelijk te pakken. De octopus is op een bepaalde manier op de omslag gedrukt, er zit reliëf in en het voelt heel prettig als je over de kaft wrijft.
De eerste pagina van ‘Had ik maar een octopus’ maakt het boek gelijk interactief en is een leuke pagina voor de woordenschat. Het had leuk geweest als dit door het boek heen was doorgetrokken. Wel kan ik vooropstellen dat de woordenschat van kinderen door dit boek vergroot wordt, er staan best wat ongebruikelijke woorden in het verhaal. Daarnaast staan er een hoop leerzame feiten over de octopus in het verhaal. Het verhaal staat op rijm, wat het voorlezen prettig maakt. Bij vaker voorlezen zullen kinderen de laatste woorden van elke zin kunnen aanvullen.
Door het hele boek heen staan mooie illustraties en fijn dat er een gekleurd meisje de hoofdrol heeft in dit boek.
De omslag van dit boek had mijn aandacht gelijk te pakken. De octopus is op een bepaalde manier op de omslag gedrukt, er zit reliëf in en het voelt heel prettig als je over de kaft wrijft.
De eerste pagina van ‘Had ik maar een octopus’ maakt het boek gelijk interactief en is een leuke pagina voor de woordenschat. Het had leuk geweest als dit door het boek heen was doorgetrokken. Wel kan ik vooropstellen dat de woordenschat van kinderen door dit boek vergroot wordt, er staan best wat ongebruikelijke woorden in het verhaal. Daarnaast staan er een hoop leerzame feiten over de octopus in het verhaal. Het verhaal staat op rijm, wat het voorlezen prettig maakt. Bij vaker voorlezen zullen kinderen de laatste woorden van elke zin kunnen aanvullen.
Door het hele boek heen staan mooie illustraties en fijn dat er een gekleurd meisje de hoofdrol heeft in dit boek.
February 6, 2022
This is a glorious picture book. A simple story about the joy of owning a pet octopus (and who doesn't want one?) with wonderful words by Gabby Dawnay and joyous pictures by Alex Barrow, this is the latest in a fruitful partnership between author and illustrator and it doesn't disappoint. It's funny and the words and pictures go perfectly together, giving children and the adult reading to them lots to explore and riff off of. Destined to be a children's classic.
November 16, 2021
From the same creators as If I Had A Dinosaur, this bright picture book has the same mix of fun and facts, small children will learn things about octopi without realising it. I enjoyed the rhyming text and the different things our young protagonist suggests she could do with an octopus pet , the bold illustrations would certainly hold the attention of any young animal lover.
April 17, 2021
This whole "if I had" series is fun, but this is my new favorite! This is the cutest octopus ever and it's a messy, playful, silly book. A bright, cheerful imaginative story for the kid who loves animals and loves to pretend, but also a delightful read aloud for anyone.
June 28, 2021
A little girl dreams of what she could do with a pet octopus.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2021
Informative, entertaining, and beautifully illustrated!
May 12, 2022
This could come in handy to learn about an octopus. There is a shameless plug at the end for other books by the author.
June 14, 2022
Holt-Delhi Preschool story time 06-14-2022
January 4, 2023
Super cute story with rhythmic language, totally a fan now!
January 10, 2023
Fun read aloud
May 20, 2025
Clear illustrations with a delightful rhyme scheme; this book talks about octopuses’ physiology and how a young kid enjoys all the perks of having one as a pet.
July 26, 2025
a fun story and super cool illustrations
September 29, 2021
Read with my daughter - we loved the idea of having a pet octopus!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews