Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A young octopus has a string of narrow escapes in this wordless romp involving a rowdy animal cast, which Mayer (the Little Critter books) portrays with humorous exaggeration in brassy, paneled digital cartoons. The inanity begins after the electric-green creature leaves his underwater home, climbs the anchor line of a rowboat, and sneaks into its occupant's fishing basket. On land, the octopus ends up on the head of a frog dining in a restaurant, to whom he clings in terror when the chef arrives with a soup pot. Brandishing a cleaver, the chef gives chase after the frog dashes-octopus still attached-and the octopus is soon pursued by a growing group of exasperated animals determined to catch him for one reason or another. Mayer deftly uses the animals' body language and highly expressive eyes to deliver comedic punches. Some aspects of the story may leave readers puzzled-the octopus is saved by a fishing ban, yet there's fishing aplenty earlier, and it's not entirely clear why he's leaving home in the first place-but those looking for nonsensical slapstick fun should be entertained. Ages 5-8. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-In the opening panels of this wordless picture book, an octopus emerges from his home, pulling a small walrus in a red wagon. He climbs up a rope dropped by a hippopotamus fisherman and is caught, and from there his adventures take off in a series of three-to-four boxed illustrations per page. Young children will giggle as he wiggles his way through busy cobblestone streets, evading a hippopotamus city worker's broom and the clutches of a walrus chef and a rat waiter in a tux. The artist's signature cartoons are colorful, whimsical, and entertaining. Mayer continues to enchant a new generation of readers.-Nancy Mackenzie, Ithan Elementary School Library, Bryn Mawr, PA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In this wordless story, a young octopus seeks adventure. Finding himself in the clutches of a determined (walrus) chef, he must make his way home. Some of the cartoon-panel illustrations are a little hard to read, but the action is mostly clear. Mayer's illustrations feature personified animals out to get the little green octopus on land, and undersea creatures welcoming him back. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
After being absent from the trade market for a while, Mayer returns with this wordless book and his well-known "monster" touches. Panels and cartoon strips narrate this aquatic adventure, as a young octopus climbs up a fishing line into a rhino's creel. On shore, the startled rhino flings the octopus, which lands on the head of a city parks worker, who sweeps him accidentally into a water pitcher in a restaurant. Aha, the plot thickens when the octopus is discovered by the walrus chef, and a comical chase ensues through the town. A "No Fishing Today" sign rescues the octopus from the soup pot, sending him home to Mama. The digital cartoon illustrations energetically animate the action with visual puns and slapstick details highlighting Mayer's recognizable line work: The rhino fisherman has a Mom tattoo; a blimp flying over the ocean asks, "Got Gas?" Pacing and facial expressions extend the comedy in masterly fashion. This is not a variation on the familiar folk tale of Stone Soup (adding something to nothing) but Mayer's own maritime madcap mimicking the Keystone Kops. Welcome back, Mercer; what's nextturtle soup?(Wordless picture book. 5-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
