Octopus books

Bet you didn’t know that Cephalopod Awareness Days run from October 8-12. Octopi and squid as a group seem to go in for wacky, clueless and amusing behavior in picture books, so to celebrate World Octopus Day (the appropriately chosen Octo-ber 8), here are eight picture books about silly cephalopods:

Cowboy & Octopus by Jon Scieszka (J PICBK SCIESZKA) – Cowboy and Octopus maintain their friendship despite different opinions about things like beans and knock-knock jokes in this laugh-out-loud funny book.

I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry (J PICBK SHERRY) – A giant squid brags about being bigger than everything else in the ocean–almost.

Squid and Octopus: Friends for Always by Tao Nyeu (J PICBK NYEU) (not at Montclair) – Four separate stories celebrate the many-legged friendship between Squid and Octopus as they disagree over how to stay warm, encourage each other and fret over the contents of a fortune cookie.

An Octopus Followed Me Home by Dan Yaccarino (J PICBK YACCARINO) (not at Montclair) – When a girl brings home an octopus and wants to keep him as a pet, her daddy reminds her of the crocodile, seals and other inappropriate animals she has already brought into the house to create chaos.

My Octopus Arms by Keith Baker (J PICBK BAKER) (not at Montclair) – Little Crab asks what an octopus can do with his eight arms and gets a surprising, rhyming, reply.

Izzy & Oscar by Allison Estes & Dan Stark (J PICBK ESTES) (not at Montclair) – Octopuses make the best pets! Pretend pirate captain Izzy is looking for a pet when an adventurous little octopus squiggles into town.

Good Thing You’re Not an Octopus! by Julie Markes (J PICBK MARKES) (not at Montclair) – A little boy finds that his life is pretty easy compared to how it might be.

Thank You, Octopus by Darren Farrell (J PICBK FARRELL) (not at Montclair) – Octopus helps his buddy get ready for bed, but in most unusual ways.

Bonus book (not in OPL, but worth requesting through Link+):
Emile by Tomi Ungerer – The story of an octopus who decides to try living on land and how he becomes a hero.