The octopus lives in a cave where he can enjoy the big and small waves that push through his home. He loves the sand beneath his tentacles and his starfish neighbors, he especially loves to chase the crabs for his dinner!

This story follows the capture of the octopus from the ocean and into an aquarium where he is observed, tested, taught, and stared at. As he himself is being observed, he also observes the animals in their own glass cages and they all look sad. Our octopus decides he has had enough and one day, after a predictable, unchaseable, dinner falls from the top of his glass cage, he decides to escape.

The illustrations by Felicita Sala give personality to this strong willed, smart octopus. My favorite is the page where his tentacles are wrapped around the human’s arm and she removes them one by one. Both the text and the zoomed in illustration of this event left me smiling and really feeling like I was there with them.

I think the combination of the illustrations, full of motion, and the story of an octopus that just wants to be free, make for a great story. I can see using this with students to study narrative perspectives, as well as the conservation efforts of local aquariums.