Becky Scharnhorst is a children's book author who lives in
Wisconsin with her husband, two kids, and several silly pets (but,
sadly, no octopuses). She is the author of My School Stinks and
This Field Trip Stinks. You can visit Becky online at
beckyscharnhorst.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram
@beckyscharn.
Jaclyn Sinquett grew up playing in her dad's garden, feeding worms
to box turtles, and tossing french fries to seagulls at the Jersey
Shore. She received her BFA in illustration from the University of
the Arts in 2008 and has been illustrating professionally ever
since. She now spends her time avoiding sunburn at the beach with
her daughter, catching up on a certain great baking show, and
illustrating books for children. Jaclyn is the illustrator of Loud
Mouse, written by Idina Menzel and Cara Mentzel, and It Will Be OK,
written by Lisa Katzenberger. She lives in Brick, New Jersey. You
can visit Jaclyn Sinquett online at JaclynSinquett.com or follow
her on Instagram @JSinquett.
★"Scharnhorst’s second-person narrative slips readers into the
perspective of the young girl sending her cunning, yet cuddly,
octopus off to school. While the octopus’s game of hide-and-seek
may extend a bit too long for grown-ups, young readers will hardly
notice as they enjoy spotting the octopus hiding throughout
Sinquett’s playful and brightly colored digital cartoon
illustrations. Spoiler alert: The goodbye hug at the end of the
story might draw a tear from grown-up readers getting ready to send
children off to school. Back matter contains a list of “Ten
(Mostly) True Facts About Octopuses,” for readers curious about the
habits of octopuses highlighted throughout. VERDICT A charming,
eight-armed hug of a story that won’t hide long on library
shelves."--School Library Journal (starred review)
"The matter-of-fact text will easily pull anyone into this
alternate version of the world, where octopuses play with stuffed
toys, draw at easels, and hug their humans goodbye. As a bonus, the
book does not reference a specific school level, making it
accessible for a wide range of young children. A list of octopus
facts after the story will help caregivers distinguish between
truth and fiction presented in the narrative. A charming
back-to-school book for the nervous octopus in all of us." --
Kirkus reviews
"Sinquett’s illustrations are neatly composed and highly detailed,
showing off every stitch of a knit pattern, every vein on a leaf,
and every speckle of glitter, while still maintaining a cartoonish,
adorable look for the octopus and his burdened but doting pigtailed
caretaker. The red-hued octopus’ outfits and choice of hiding
spots make this a visual treat of a picture book as viewers get to
look for the octopus on each page and giggle at his evasion tactics
and stylish garb. The octopus serves as a sweet buffer for viewers
who are shy about going to school themselves, and older siblings
may benefit from a reminder to be patient with little ones who
don’t know the drill just yet. An engaging list of embellished
octopus facts is included at the end." --BCCB
"It’s all-hands-on-deck when a pale-skinned child with long black
pigtails tries to wrangle an octopus for his first day of school.
Addressing readers in a second-person voice, Scharnhorst offers
funny and endearingly patient point-by-point advice on a morning
routine . . . All the while, Sinquett’s breezy digital art
depicts a small, salmon-hued octopus humorously exhibiting arrayed
behaviors both human (trying on outfits, sitting at the breakfast
table) and cephalopod (camouflaging, inking). Arrival at the
classroom, filled with octopus friends and a kind-faced teacher,
sets the stage for a tender transition. “Ten (Mostly) True Facts
About Octopuses” closes this sweetly humorous take on a familiar
rite of passage." --Publishers Weekly
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