This is a heartwarming and inspirational story about Olly the octopus, who is afraid of exploring the ocean after a traumatic experience in his past. I enjoyed the message in the story and how brave Olly becomes to save himself and his friends. There is more text than in an average picture book, and it works quite well with the story and pacing. Uta's illustrations are beautiful and expressive! G.D. Griffiths has done a great job of sharing a story about overcoming fears, which I think both children and adults will find very relatable.

I look forward to reading more books about Olly and to seeing all the adventures he goes on with his newfound bravery!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Olly's Journey is a sweet and meaningful story about courage, friendship, and stepping up when it matters most. Olly the octopus is easy to root for, especially as he faces big challenges in the deep sea. The message is strong and heartwarming, which makes it a great read for kids and parents alike. That said, I do wish the book had more pictures—there’s so much happening underwater that it would’ve been awesome to see more of it visually. Still, I really enjoyed reading it and loved how it showed that even the quietest among us can be heroes.

Olly’s got eight legs and one HUGE heart, and I was cheering for him like he was swimming the Olympics. Olly’s Journey is one of those feel-good, hug-your-soul kind of books that makes kids (and, um, adults like me) believe in bravery and being your best self—even when you're scared. It’s got adventure, emotion, and just enough "awww" to melt your reef-loving heart. Total keeper. 🌊💙

An underwater adventure that proves heroes come in all shapes... even squishy ones!

Olly’s Journey is an ocean-sized splash of courage, friendship, and feel-good fun that’ll tug your heartstrings and tickle your tentacles!

This is so cute and fun! My son had the best time reading this one and screaming out the animals he recognized. The illustrations were perfect.

The illustrations were nice, and the story, while simple, was solid. My struggle is in identifying the demographic. It's too wordy for the picture book demographic, but the text is too simple for the beginner chapter readers. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read!