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Octopuses Have Zero Bones: A Counting Book About Our Amazing World
“Prepared for the most inquisitive readers, bringing answers to fresh questions they may not even have thought to ask” — Smithsonian Magazine
“This is a multi-dimensional triumph.” —Larry Gonick, Overeducated Cartoonist & Author of Cartoon Guide Series
“An instant classic—a fun, fascinating must-read for any child or kid at heart.” —Lindsay Bierman, Executive Director & CEO, Exploratorium
An unconventional, engaging, and delightful counting book for curious minds that playfully uses numbers as an entry-point to discover the amazing, diverse, fact-filled world of wonders all around us.
Do you know…
How many bones an octopus has?
How many breaths you take a day?
How many times a black bear’s heart beats each hour?
How many moons Mars has?
How many miles a trip to the moon and back is? How about a trip to Saturn?
How many leaves are on an oak tree?
How many meters there are between you and the clouds?
What happens when you keep placing zeroes at the end of numbers?
The answers to these questions appear in this book—along with many more amazing facts that celebrate the numbers zero to nine and powers of ten numbers ten to nine billion. Starting with zero instead of one, this whimsical, fact-filled counting book will delight readers of all ages. Combining elements of traditional and advanced counting books with a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around us, Octopuses Have Zero Bones encourages young readers to fall in love with numbers and the world around them. ?
Richly imagined and playfully illustrated, Octopuses Have Zero Bones is a great choice for children, families, and inquisitive people of all ages, and it is a strong addition to any classroom or school library. The book’s layered content offers an easy and attractive point of entry as well as the possible to explore and understand more at multiple levels.
“This is a multi-dimensional triumph.” —Larry Gonick, Overeducated Cartoonist & Author of Cartoon Guide Series
“An instant classic—a fun, fascinating must-read for any child or kid at heart.” —Lindsay Bierman, Executive Director & CEO, Exploratorium
An unconventional, engaging, and delightful counting book for curious minds that playfully uses numbers as an entry-point to discover the amazing, diverse, fact-filled world of wonders all around us.
Do you know…
How many bones an octopus has?
How many breaths you take a day?
How many times a black bear’s heart beats each hour?
How many moons Mars has?
How many miles a trip to the moon and back is? How about a trip to Saturn?
How many leaves are on an oak tree?
How many meters there are between you and the clouds?
What happens when you keep placing zeroes at the end of numbers?
The answers to these questions appear in this book—along with many more amazing facts that celebrate the numbers zero to nine and powers of ten numbers ten to nine billion. Starting with zero instead of one, this whimsical, fact-filled counting book will delight readers of all ages. Combining elements of traditional and advanced counting books with a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around us, Octopuses Have Zero Bones encourages young readers to fall in love with numbers and the world around them. ?
Richly imagined and playfully illustrated, Octopuses Have Zero Bones is a great choice for children, families, and inquisitive people of all ages, and it is a strong addition to any classroom or school library. The book’s layered content offers an easy and attractive point of entry as well as the possible to explore and understand more at multiple levels.
68 pages, Hardcover
Published September 27, 2022
About the author
Anne Richardson
15 booksLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 28, 2022
IMHO, Anee Richardson and Andrea Antinori have crafted an example of the perfect non-fiction picture book. It is filled with fantastic factoids, great illustrations, and also gives a very straightforward but child-friendly introduction to numbers and numerical concepts. Concepts plural because this book successfully introduces ideas suitable for both younger AND older children. As a parent, I place Octopuses Have Zero Bones in the category, PARENT-FRIENDLY: engaging and cool enough to read over and over again without tearing your hair out.
Aesthetically pleasing, interesting, and a novel presentation of STEM.
Aesthetically pleasing, interesting, and a novel presentation of STEM.
March 2, 2023
This is super interesting! I learned a lot
February 9, 2026
очень классный детский научпоп для самых маленьких. особую любовь у меня вызвали иллюстрации, ну хоть в свою коллекцию покупай
January 23, 2023
From the cover, you think this is a kids' book. Ha! I even had my husband, a math teacher, read this book. This book explains the number zero and its importance. It does it so well. Just writing about it makes me want to read it again. And the back story! Wow! What a neat thing for Anne Richardson to do with her children. Read it. Have fun.
October 5, 2024
Qua illustraties vond ik het best mooi, en de feitjes als losstaand ook, maar ik vond het verder ook erg chaotisch en ik merkte ook echt dat mijn ADHD gewoon verveeld raakte. Het is, zoals iemand het ook al in een andere review zegt, geen echt telboek.
April 3, 2024
Leesbaar van 3 tem 103. De opbouw is slim, de weetjes boeien, verrassen of doen lachen. Kan een zeer motiverend boek zijn voor zij die zichzelf niet als lezer bestempelen.
November 7, 2022
This is the book for the fact lover or the number lover; it’s the book for five year olds or 55 year olds or anyone in between. The boldly colored, playful illustrations make each fact come alive among loads of numbers and plenty of expressive, fascinating captions and diagrams.
Here’s a few of my favorites:
Did you know “a black bear’s heart beats THREE THOUSAND times every hour most of the year?”
Did you know “for two weeks of winter in Longyearbyen, Norway, there is zero daylight and in summer, there is 24 hours of daylight?”
Did you know “when you look up into the branches of a mature oak tree, you will see up to 500,000 leaves?”
Did you know “the people of the United States eat a combined total of nine billion pounds of bananas each year? That’s 81 pounds per person.”
I can see this becoming a bedtime favorite, a special coffee table book for all ages or one that entertains the entire family together as they read and marvel about two or three facts before they leave the dinner table.
Finally, be certain to read the author’s note about what prompted her to write this book. Be sure you take your family out into the world and count or measure anything and everything. You’ll be amazed at what you discover.
Here’s a few of my favorites:
Did you know “a black bear’s heart beats THREE THOUSAND times every hour most of the year?”
Did you know “for two weeks of winter in Longyearbyen, Norway, there is zero daylight and in summer, there is 24 hours of daylight?”
Did you know “when you look up into the branches of a mature oak tree, you will see up to 500,000 leaves?”
Did you know “the people of the United States eat a combined total of nine billion pounds of bananas each year? That’s 81 pounds per person.”
I can see this becoming a bedtime favorite, a special coffee table book for all ages or one that entertains the entire family together as they read and marvel about two or three facts before they leave the dinner table.
Finally, be certain to read the author’s note about what prompted her to write this book. Be sure you take your family out into the world and count or measure anything and everything. You’ll be amazed at what you discover.
September 28, 2022
Did you know that octopuses have zero bones (a trait that allows them to fit into the tiniest of places)? 🐙 Or that there are 40,000 grains in a two pound bag of rice? 🍚 Or that the branches of a mature oak tree hosts up to five thousand leaves? 🌳 We learned all of these interesting and mindblowing facts from what may be one of my favorite picture book releases of 2022 - “Octopuses Have Zero Bones”. I am OBSESSED with this book!
A clever exploration of numbers, counting and the natural world “Octopuses Have Zero Bones” is jam packed with fun facts and bright colors that will wow readers of all ages. Divided into sections 0-9, Richardson uses numbers to explore subjects as diverse as tardigrades, space, weather and the human body.
Not your average counting book, this bright and often funny book will engage even the most hesitant math learner. I love how it connects numbers and mathematics to the world around us, showing young readers that math is everywhere and that it can be awe inspiring and even playful. Magpie and Red loved the illustrations, sitting to look at them long after we finished reading it. This whole book is such a joy, but as a parent I think the author’s note at the end may be one of the most impactful parts for me. In it Richardson speaks about the inspiration for the book - counting, measuring and wondering with her own children during the spring of 2020. She encourages young readers to wonder about, explore and yes, count the things in the world that make them curious. I have absolutely no doubts that her incredible new book will inspire them to do just that.
This book was gifted by the publisher, but all opinions are my own. Seriously, this book is the most fun!
A clever exploration of numbers, counting and the natural world “Octopuses Have Zero Bones” is jam packed with fun facts and bright colors that will wow readers of all ages. Divided into sections 0-9, Richardson uses numbers to explore subjects as diverse as tardigrades, space, weather and the human body.
Not your average counting book, this bright and often funny book will engage even the most hesitant math learner. I love how it connects numbers and mathematics to the world around us, showing young readers that math is everywhere and that it can be awe inspiring and even playful. Magpie and Red loved the illustrations, sitting to look at them long after we finished reading it. This whole book is such a joy, but as a parent I think the author’s note at the end may be one of the most impactful parts for me. In it Richardson speaks about the inspiration for the book - counting, measuring and wondering with her own children during the spring of 2020. She encourages young readers to wonder about, explore and yes, count the things in the world that make them curious. I have absolutely no doubts that her incredible new book will inspire them to do just that.
This book was gifted by the publisher, but all opinions are my own. Seriously, this book is the most fun!
February 7, 2026
Questo albo illustrato non racconta una storia, ma tante piccole curiosità a partire da un’esplorazione numerica del mondo.
Sia come impostazione sia come stile mi ha ricordato “Il tempo? Siamo noi!”.
Il testo progredisce dallo 0 al 9, dedicando ad ogni numero 6 facciate, perciò il libro risulta corposo e ricco. Per ogni numero vengono presentate informazioni prevalentemente di ambito naturalistico che abbiano quella cifra come riferimento. Inoltre progressivamente vengono composte quantità sempre più grandi, aggiungendo ogni volta uno zero alle varie basi (10, 200, 3000,…).
Visto il giovane pubblico a cui si rivolge, inizialmente ero scettica sull’inserimento delle potenze di 10, ma ammetto che l’autrice accompagna passo passo nella comprensione del meccanismo, e comunque il contenuto risulta godibile anche se le quantità non fossero perfettamente concettualizzate.
Le illustrazioni sono semplici e piatte, realizzate con pennarelli e dettagli a pastello, utilizzando una palette limitata ai colori primari + verde e rosa. Questo da un lato rende i disegni d’impatto e immediati da comprendere, dall’altro conferisce al comparto grafico uno stile puerile, che personalmente non ho amato.
Aggiungo che, a mio avviso, a fronte di immagini modeste e frasi stringate, il formato del volume è inutilmente grande.
Nel complesso ho apprezzato questo albo per l’approccio, meno per la grafica. Ad ogni modo risulta di grande stimolo per la curiosità e sono certa che i bambini lo adorerebbero.
Sia come impostazione sia come stile mi ha ricordato “Il tempo? Siamo noi!”.
Il testo progredisce dallo 0 al 9, dedicando ad ogni numero 6 facciate, perciò il libro risulta corposo e ricco. Per ogni numero vengono presentate informazioni prevalentemente di ambito naturalistico che abbiano quella cifra come riferimento. Inoltre progressivamente vengono composte quantità sempre più grandi, aggiungendo ogni volta uno zero alle varie basi (10, 200, 3000,…).
Visto il giovane pubblico a cui si rivolge, inizialmente ero scettica sull’inserimento delle potenze di 10, ma ammetto che l’autrice accompagna passo passo nella comprensione del meccanismo, e comunque il contenuto risulta godibile anche se le quantità non fossero perfettamente concettualizzate.
Le illustrazioni sono semplici e piatte, realizzate con pennarelli e dettagli a pastello, utilizzando una palette limitata ai colori primari + verde e rosa. Questo da un lato rende i disegni d’impatto e immediati da comprendere, dall’altro conferisce al comparto grafico uno stile puerile, che personalmente non ho amato.
Aggiungo che, a mio avviso, a fronte di immagini modeste e frasi stringate, il formato del volume è inutilmente grande.
Nel complesso ho apprezzato questo albo per l’approccio, meno per la grafica. Ad ogni modo risulta di grande stimolo per la curiosità e sono certa che i bambini lo adorerebbero.
May 31, 2023
If you have been around awhile, you know we are big fans of anything tra.publishing puts out. I have been wanting to get my hands on a copy of this beauty so when I saw it at our local library yesterday, I instantly added it to our ever-growing pile. Ever since we brought it home and read it together, my seven-year-old has been begging me to get our own copy to have forever.
This has everything we have come to love about tra.publishing’s books and more! I feel like counting books are usually for the younger audience but this one is GOLD! Absolutely fantastic. My daughter is a “fact finder” so this book spoke to her soul. If you are looking for an educational read for the summer that is filled with facts that even adults will find interesting, this is your book.
I can’t give this one enough high praise. An illustration style we love. Filled to the brim with interesting facts. Educational. Entertaining. A book both parents and kids can enjoy. All the stars. Plus, reading the author’s note at the back about how this story came to be spoke to my mama heart on such a deep level.
Add this one to your summer reading list. Grab it at the library if you see it. Pick up a copy to add to your collection. It did not disappoint!
This has everything we have come to love about tra.publishing’s books and more! I feel like counting books are usually for the younger audience but this one is GOLD! Absolutely fantastic. My daughter is a “fact finder” so this book spoke to her soul. If you are looking for an educational read for the summer that is filled with facts that even adults will find interesting, this is your book.
I can’t give this one enough high praise. An illustration style we love. Filled to the brim with interesting facts. Educational. Entertaining. A book both parents and kids can enjoy. All the stars. Plus, reading the author’s note at the back about how this story came to be spoke to my mama heart on such a deep level.
Add this one to your summer reading list. Grab it at the library if you see it. Pick up a copy to add to your collection. It did not disappoint!
August 13, 2024
The title isn't just eyecatching but mind-catching. And that's just a sample of the delights awaiting readers of this book. What a must for animal lovers, math lovers, and all of us who love quirky!
Fun facts abound, and the colorful, sprightly illustrations make all the fun even juicier.
Here are three sets of fun facts that I particularly savored:
AMAZING RIVERS
The Amazon, Nile, and Missouri river systems are each 6 million meters long...
Even better, that amounts to the same length as the radius of the Earth.
SEVEN, TWICE
Pure water has a pH of SEVEN.
This is neutral, neither acidic nor basic.
SEVENTY MILLION gallons of water
fall over Niagara falls every 90 seconds
LIFE IS TEEMING WITH LIFE
There are EIGHT HUNDRED million bacteria in a teaspoon of grassland soil.
There arev etween 10,000 and 100,000 different species of bacteria in a teaspoon of soil.
FIVE STARS -- and brava! to author Anne Richardson and illustrator Andrea Antinori.
Fun facts abound, and the colorful, sprightly illustrations make all the fun even juicier.
Here are three sets of fun facts that I particularly savored:
AMAZING RIVERS
The Amazon, Nile, and Missouri river systems are each 6 million meters long...
Even better, that amounts to the same length as the radius of the Earth.
SEVEN, TWICE
Pure water has a pH of SEVEN.
This is neutral, neither acidic nor basic.
SEVENTY MILLION gallons of water
fall over Niagara falls every 90 seconds
LIFE IS TEEMING WITH LIFE
There are EIGHT HUNDRED million bacteria in a teaspoon of grassland soil.
There arev etween 10,000 and 100,000 different species of bacteria in a teaspoon of soil.
FIVE STARS -- and brava! to author Anne Richardson and illustrator Andrea Antinori.
July 1, 2023
I enjoyed this book for its interesting assortment of quantitative facts about the natural world. The illustrations are engaging. My only quibble is that the cover says “A counting book about our amazing world,” and there are some countable sets depicted in it, but the book is more about quantities in our world rather than counting; also, the 0-9 sequence of quantifiable facts doesn’t really lend itself to counting.
Good and interesting, just not really a *counting book*
Good and interesting, just not really a *counting book*
September 26, 2022
Looking for a STEM book with both math, science, AND beautiful art? This book is for you! It really has it all. It has facts about space, mammalogy, meteorology, and even a little geography. And it can be shared with all ages as the littlest members can learn how to count while the older kids (and adults) learn facts about our world.
November 4, 2024
Fascinating facts about numbers. Visual humor in the illustrations.
This is a picture book for middle to upper elementary readers who have the interest and stamina to learn about these pieces of information. May require adult promo.
Example: There are 5 petaloids on a sand dollar. The Earth has 5 ocean basins. Apples contain 5 seed chambers.
This is a picture book for middle to upper elementary readers who have the interest and stamina to learn about these pieces of information. May require adult promo.
Example: There are 5 petaloids on a sand dollar. The Earth has 5 ocean basins. Apples contain 5 seed chambers.
October 26, 2025
Lots of cool facts—but my only issue is that’s marketed as a “counting book” and the way it presents “adding zeros to make [10, 200, 3000, etc]” doesn’t really support number sense about place value. Still a fun book for the curious kid! Just not really a math book.
December 28, 2022
I was delighted at how versatile this book is. There is something for little kids and big kids on each page.
January 19, 2023
Delightful, not your typical children’s book.
March 29, 2023
I love the randomness of this book.
May 14, 2025
The illustrations are cool, but there's no storyline and it's not really a counting book. I would give this book to a child 6+ who's interested in random science facts, size, animals, or numbers.
December 27, 2022
Adults, read this book before sharing with children. There will be lots of wonderful questions. Be prepared.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews