Good book about Octavio, who finally got to see better after he got him glasses. But for me, the illustrations were kinda 'dark' for little ones, especially my son, who was only 4 years old.
This book uses simple words, and I could easily explain it to my son. We had a good time after all when we read this book.

Thank you to Marc González Rossell, Kids Can Press, and NetGalley for the copy of this book.

In a Nutshell: A picture book about the magic of seeing clearly. I liked the idea and even the atypical implementation. But a couple of content inclusions seemed odd for the target age group. I’d have liked the overall feel to be lighter and more positive. The artwork was also not in my favourite style.

This picture book was originally published in Spanish under the title ‘Octavio y sus gafas’ in 2024. This English version, translated by Susan Ouriou, is to be published in May 2025.
I like the concept of the book. Octavio’s world is quite blurry But once he gets new glasses, his eyesight improves to such an extent that he can see things from far, far away as well as very, very near. He sees monsters and cheaters and liars and lovers. Just as you wonder what’s happening, the twist is revealed (and honestly, as a book lover, I should have seen it coming beforehand): Octavio has discovered the magic of storybooks and reading, thanks to his better vision. An original idea for sure.
The story would help children make peace with the idea of wearing glasses as well as open the world of books to reluctant readers. The minimal text – not more than 2-3 lines per page in simple prose – helps keep the content accessible, though it might be simplistic for slightly older kids.
Why then is my rating on the lower side? Quite a few reasons.
First, though the twist reveal is great, the implementation isn't that smooth. I didn’t like the idea of cheating gamblers and “lovers” mentioned in a picture book meant for kids aged 3-7. There are better ways to depict darker storylines from the world of reading without resorting to such content.
Secondly, while the overall colour tone of the book is quite dark, the characters are drawn even creepier, with many images that might scare some young readers. If this is meant as a bedtime read, such sinister-looking visuals could even lead to nightmares.
Finally – and this is the most ironic for a book about clear eyesight – the graphics are too blurry. The art style is one reason for this, as the brush stroke method creates fuzzy edges, making the overall image appears hazy. Further, the colour scheme is the same as visible on the cover: black and yellow with minimal white. This makes the pages appear gloomy even when the content is joyous. (I have often seen that European picture books have simplistic and monochromatic colours, which this vibrant-colour-loving Indian doesn’t enjoy. So this point could be attributed to personal preference.)
Overall, I do like the intent behind this picture book. But some part of the writing inclusions and the art style stopped me from liking this further. As the GR rating of the book is quite high, I wasn’t sure if my opinion was accurate enough. So I called my two inhouse not-so-little readers and independently asked their opinions. Their ratings were 3.5 stars and 3 stars respectively, with both of them surprised by the inclusion of the card game and the “lovers” in a picture book. All three of us have weak eyes, so we did like the idea of linking clear eyesight to more reading.
If you like the concept and the cover art style, perhaps you could give this book a go, especially considering how many readers have loved it.
2.8 stars. (My rating is 2 stars. Averaging this with my kids’ ratings.)
My thanks to Kids Can Press for providing the DRC of “Octavio and His Glasses” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

What captivated me most about the book were the illustrations.
The book is kept entirely in black and yellow and white for highlights. It is visually very bold.

The storyline is not totally up to my taste. I am unsure about what the Message of the book is. Now that he has glasses he can see everything. And in the dark he has a perfect imagination - something children fortunately have whether they have 100 percent vision or are disabled.

This book is translated. And I think it’s done very well. Octavio has had a problem seeing, but they have a new pair of glasses and now they get to explore the world. They explore the world through the stories in the books that they read and the dreams they have while sleeping. This was a great book to bring to US audiences. And one I could see being read for storytime for years to come.

Quirky illustrations and a whimsical story telling style, those are the two things that stood out for me in Octavio and His Glasses. It doesn't rhyme, and has that unusual writing style that makes it more suitable for slightly older kids, say 7 years and above. Also, the book can be better appreciated by people who have needed and worn glasses. And someone who wore glasses for half my school life before getting Lasik surgery, I could relate to what the author is highlighting. I quite enjoyed reading this one, and a tip, don't go looking for a deep philosophical meaning into this one. It's not about that, it's more about how big a difference it makes to people and their lives when they get their vision corrected.

I was so excited at the prospect of a book that celebrates glasses and how they can improve your world. This didn't quite deliver the joy I was hoping for - instead something deeper and occasionally creepier.

It's a translation from Spanish, and definitely has that quintessentially European picturebook feel to it - sophisticated and often a bit left of centre. It's something I personally enjoy, but unfortunately our retail market doesn't gravitate towards these titles.

I absolutely loved the stark imagery and color usage in "Octavio and His Glasses." I think this would hold the interest of most Littles, and keep their eyes dancing over the page. It's art is a unique illustration style that stands out among the rest. It makes such an mundane topic (getting glasses) and makes it deeper and more meaningful in very few words.

I love the font for the cover, but there is something that I am struggling with the main body font throughout. I'm not sure if it is size or the font itself. I know it is not the focus and the goal is to make it blend in with the scenery, but, on a device screen at least, it seems like something you may want to play around with a little bit.

Also, for some reason, the "cheater" scene feels very sinister. I think it may be the glowing eyes...it may be a bit much for some kiddos.

Overall, I love the topic, love the deeper meaning, and love the jarring visual colors!

This was a short children's picture book about a boy who gets his first pair of glasses. I mostly enjoyed it, but did find some of the scenes a bit odd, mainly the one that said lovers. There was a lot of creativity in the illustrations, especially the ones depicting the really far with the alien and really close with the bug, as well as the stairs under the bed. My daughter wasn't a fan of the monochromatic yellow black and white colors but said she'd like the pictures if there were more colors. While I wouldn't mind having this book in my elementary school library, I wouldn't use it as a read aloud. Giving this one 3.5 ⭐.

Thank you to Kids Can Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

Love the colour palette chosen as it reflects the importance of light and dark. The fun opening with seeing far away and close will bring laughter to the classroom. The discussion then about why he will now be able to go on so many adventures in the dark is also important as the children will reflect on the stories they read and the places that they want to go and dreams they have thanks to reading. Simple use of language but alongside the delightful images there is so much more meaning to be found. Thank you.

This is the story of Octavio getting glasses, which are new to him. The illustrations are really great, but the plot is lacking. Other than Octavio getting new glasses, not much happened in this book.

Cute story about glasses giving a child access to the world via reading. Loved it and would absolutely recommend that it be added to elementary libraries!

As a fellow glasses wearer, I remember the day I put on my first pair of glasses and couldn’t imagine that people could see so clearly. The world surely opened up and let in the light of all the things I couldn’t really “see” before. And Octavio’s journey through the visuals and experiences his new glasses revealed to him were reminders of how innocence and naïveté are lost as we grow up. I loved the illustration. There were so many humorous moments as we saw things from Octavio’s eyes. This will definitely be a picture book to reread often and experience all of the wonders that Octavio gets to live through.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this charming picture book in exchange for an honest review.

A book about new perspectives when Octavio gets glasses and everything is clearer.
I was really excited about the prospect of this book, since one of my kids just got glasses. Despite what I anticipated based on reading the description, there was a lot in this book that was unexpected. I loved the illustrative style, done completely in yellow and black, which was really innovative. However, Though it was very imaginative, I didn't particularly enjoy how the book focused so much on nefarious and spooky characters - I want to read this book to my kids before they go to bed at night and not give them fuel to wake me up because they've had a bad dream.

I was 10 years old when, like Octavio, I received a pair of glasses and could suddenly see. How crisp everything was! So many details on leaves! How sharp corners and edges were!

This is the perfect book for those seeing for the first time. Because being able to see literally can lead to reading which can read to being able to see metaphorically. Highly recommended, even to those with 20/20 vision.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting read. From the limited palette to the unusual art style and story beats, this entire book was just kinda… odd? I wasn’t expecting something so experimental and strange from a children’s book, and it’s frankly inspiring. I liked this book because it was odd and unexpected, and I feel like a certain type of child will also see this and gain inspiration from it. We need more weird artsy books for kids.

Honestly, this wasn't my favorite children's book. I didn't really understand why Octavio's imagination started working just because he got glasses. I think the premise was a little confusing and it didn't seem like a compelling story for kids. I liked the drawings but the story was a ''miss'' for me.

I was drawn to this book by the cover, and the art did not disappoint—it reminds me of Suzy Lee, ie amazing. The story seems, as it starts out, to be a simple, witty one about the benefits of glasses... and then it takes an interesting deep dive into what it might mean to see more clearly. Thoughtful and original; loved it.

Book 014 of 350 ~ 2025

🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

I love the use of black and yellow. I also love the hidden meaning to being able to see the world for what it truly is.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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