What if an Octopus Followed Me Home?

This is a heartwarming story about a little boy, Julius, who comes home from school with an octopus attached to him... not only physically but emotionally as well. You know he is smitten when he has already named the little guy. He names him Mack.

His mom tells him, and correctly so, that the octopus cannot stay in the house because he is a sea creature... the end! Julius goes through a litany of reasons why Mack can stay, even throwing in the Golden Rule, " Do unto other's." Finally mom relents and agrees that Mack can stay the night. Julius and Mack are overjoyed.

The happy duo play games and enjoy each other's company immensely. Julius's mom suggests that Mack sleeps in the tub overnight which is arranged. In the morning he is transported to the splash pool in the yard as Julius heads off to school for the day. But will Mack be safe and healthy there for any length of time? Is this the right thing to do? Perhaps Julius is being selfish and wants a cool pet no matter what the consequences.

Poor Mack's health takes a turn for the worse forcing Julius to make a decision. Should he try to nurse Mack back to normal himself or should he find an environment where Mack can thrive, be healthy and have friends of his own kind to play with? What a hard choice when you want with all your heart to keep Mack as your very own.

The book emphasizes friendship, problem solving and the necessity of returning animals to their proper environment. The illustrations are clear, expressive and colourful enriching the text greatly. This book will be a great catalyst to open up conversations about your intentions versus the good and right thing that has to be done. Sometimes you have to put your own desires aside and think about the well-being ( and survival ) of others. I like the message very much.

This story was sweet and cute. I read this along with my 1st grader and 3rd grader. We each took turns reading a page. This was perfect for my 1st grader to read almost completely alone. There were a handful of words he needed help with. I really liked the emphasis on befriending someone different than yourself. It really reinforced the innocence of children. It also included problem solving which is always a plus in my book. Work things out, think them through and figure out a way.

This is a wonderful and silly little picture book about caring for an octopus, of all things! Julius is excited when he is followed home by an octopus. He thinks he can keep him around by letting him play in the tub or his wading pool in the backyard. But as the octopus starts to not look so great, Julius realizes that this octopus belongs in the ocean. This could be a great conversation starter about what different animals need to be healthy and what animals make good pets. I found this book adorable!
Thank you to BookBuzz, Pamela D Beverly and NetGalley for this fun e-book, my opinions are my own. I plan to read it to my preschoolers later in the week!
www.colecampfireblog.com
LanaLCole@yahoo.com

This was a very sweet read about compassion, friendship and differences. My 4 year old thoroughly enjoyed this read with me. The illustrations were beautiful and articulated the story well.

Nice children's bedtime story about being a good friend. Teaches children that they cannot keep random stray octopi (that's plural for octopus right?) inside you house because of survival reasons and distraction. If said child did decide to bring home an octopus, 24 hour living arrangements can be made.

What an adorable, warmhearted, and encouraging story! Every parent has anecdotes about "But he followed me home! Can I keep him?" In this case, he is a playful, friendly, octopus; but he can't live in a wading pool. Children will love this story; I certainly did.

What would you do if an octopus followed you home!? Would you want to keep it? Would your parents let you keep it? This cute little story shows one little boy how sea creatures and humans both need different things to survive. The little boy in the story wants to ensure that his new pet has everything it needs, but there is still something missing..

We loved this book! It was cute and creative! Great for kids 3-6!