Milo Is Missing Something

by Vern Kousky

In this rhythmic, lively read-aloud for the youngest children, a little octopus named Milo is searching the ocean for something he's missing. What could it be?The ocean world is strange and new. The coral reefs so colorful. The deep sea caves are dark and cozy.So what is Milo missing?Come along with Milo, a small yellow octopus, as he hatches from his egg and begins to explore the vast ocean. He's sure he's missing something, but he can't quite figure out what it could be. And so he sets off on an ocean adventure, swimming way down deep to explore sunken shipwrecks and traveling from shore to shore, befriending polar bears and jellyfish along the way. Eventually, Milo is too tired to search any longer and falls asleep on the ocean floor. Young ocean fans will love this simple aquatic mystery and delight in the big reveal of what he's been missing--his family!

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Animals, Storytime, Childrens, Fiction, Friendship

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not only is Milo missing something but so is this book.
Story: 2**
Illustrations:3***
Overall: 2.5 **

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little octopus is searching for something, though he isn't sure what exactly. Cute art, but the story doesn't give enough clues as to what the eventual point might be.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...

MILO IS MISSING SOMETHING is a cute picture book about exploration and family. After Milo hatches, he is excited to explore the intriguing world around him. He plays with other sea animals and checks out new things, but he feels like something is missing. He searches all over, but he can't seem to find it. When he settles down to sleep and dreams, he wakes to find that thing that has been missing - his family!

What I loved: The pictures here are really adorable, and I love the use of color and motion that make Milo and his exploration come to life. The book shows a range of sea creatures, though they are not all named. The story is relatively simple with a happy ending, and the writing to picture ratio is relatively low, making the pages turn as quickly as young readers would like. It would work well for toddlers and preschoolers who will appreciate the simplicity of the story, the sudden resolution, and the brevity of the text along with the colorful and cute images throughout.

Final verdict: MILO IS MISSING SOMETHING is a sweet picture book read about exploring and family with really delightful and adorable illustrations. Recommend for toddlers and preschoolers.

Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Milo feels like something is missing in his life--and it ends up being his family (or other creatures like him!). The illustrations had a cool color scheme. I was sort of waiting for a complication to the story, or some sort of surprise at the end, but it wrapped up pretty simply. He searched all over, and he found his family--the end!

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Milo hatches, he feels like something is missing and he goes looking for it. The artwork is delightful. Kids who like seeing artwork with the sea might enjoy this book.

(Spoiler alert - I was curious about what Milo was missing. It turns out it is his family. I am not sure that octopus families are like human families. Also not sure if Milo is an octopus.)

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet story!

Milo is a cute little octopus that is missing something, but since he is brand new he isn't sure exactly what it is he is missing so he goes off in search of it!

We loved this! The rhythmic prose and neat patterns in the illustrations make this an incredibly calming story that may be perfect for bedtime!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Milo is a cute little octopus who hatches alone in the sea. He proceeds to explore and make friends but always feels like something is missing. Eventually he finds it, but there's not enough clues in the story for kids to figure out what is missing. Nice illustrations, but I probably won't be using this one in story time.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute, simple story that works well for story time. "What do you think he's missing? Any ideas?" Some of the wording is a little wonky--it almost felt like it should rhyme but it didn't. The fun, colorful illustrations and emotive expressions make up for it.

[KinderWithBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like books about octopuses. Thanks, Superkids. This octopus is missing something, obviously, and swims the whole ocean and even explores on land (!?) to find what he might be lacking. Spoiler alert: it's his family. Cute, but not much else.

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Artlibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Main character is a little yellow octopus. A charming storytime book for kids under 5. Cute watercolor illustrations. I recommend.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Milo finds his missing family.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started off better than it finished.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story time book, especially for cool down time for kids in between recess/lunch or at the end of the day!

[SamSamSam · Rating 4 out of 5]

TALK

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are really cute. The story is simple. My kid liked the illustrations a lot.

[Children's Literature Centre at FSU · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great because it is a story that helps children understand that we can forget things and get lost but we always have someone who cares enough to search for and find us.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art was cute but the story was lacking.

[Sarah F · Rating 5 out of 5]

4-year-old says: I liked it because he was missing something. I liked it because there was a *pink* octopus!

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story, finding friends but looking for a family (happy ending)

[DiAnne Warfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holt-Delhi library Preschool story time 01-23-2023

[Kristina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one has the cadence of the book While the World is Sleeping.

[Katie]

Read for work! So cute.

[Natalie Tate · Rating 2 out of 5]

This picture book about Milo is missing something. The pictures were good, and the octopus was cute. But I didn't even realize the book was supposed to be rhyming until the very end, and the plot was okay but never enchanting.