Stanley is a Septopus, born with only seven tentacles instead of eight. He can do what everyone else needs eight tentacles to do, but his father treats him like a fragile person who needs regular doctor appointments and is too weak to go anywhere, his mother, a scientist, pays very little attention while doing her experimenting and his siblings - and other octopus children - bully him.
Fortunately, Stanley, while he puts up with his family’s behaviour, finds ways around it. The first time involves embarrassing his oldest brother, Oswald the jock, in the middle of an octoball game. He manages to get into a party which his family don’t want him to attend, inspired by the story of “Octorella”, and makes his first friend there.
It’s good to see a story in which a bullied child - even if they’re a sea creature - refuses to be a victim. It should inspire young readers.
The cartoon-style art of veteran children’s book illustrator Kathy Creamer, cover and internal, is delightful, funny and over the top.
This book is suitable for readers from 8-14, as well as adults like me who love children’s books. Plus it will be good to read to children.
It’s currently only available in Australia, though it might be available elsewhere once Owltitude Press expands. It’s the first book by a new publishing company, though the author has written more books, some of which are already available on Amazon. Here is the Australian Amazon, but also available on the American and British sites. https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=rebecca+fung&crid=2QXCD8W5NMVMC&sprefix=%2Caps%2C244&ref=nb_sb_ss_recent_1_0_recent
If you live in Sydney, try Abbey’s Bookshop, which has already sold out its current stock of Septopus, but should be willing to get in more. Or ask your local bookshop to order it if you live elsewhere in Australia. It’s past Christmas but this will make a good birthday gift for the child in your life.
The Owltitude web site is down right now, but I will put it here when it’s back.
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