Octopus

Guojing is a celebrated author-illustrator whose wordless and nearly wordless books The Flamingo, Stormy, and The Only Child were named to best-of-the-year lists by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and more. Her most recent books include the graphic novel Oasis, which received seven starred reviews, and the picture book The House That Floated. She holds a BFA from Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts and has also worked as a concept artist on games and in children’s television. Guojing grew up in China and now lives in Canada with her family. Learn more about the author at www.guojingart.com and follow her on Instagram @guojing.art.

“With velvety, dimensional digital illustrations arranged in wordless panels, Guojing crafts a context-building outing that inspires environmental stewardship.” —Publishers Weekly“Award-winning author and illustrator Guojing is back with another touching, wordless story. Just in time for Earth Day, The Octopus, about a little girl who befriends a tiny octopus, teaches readers of all ages how even the smallest creature can create meaningful change in the world.” —L.A. Parent magazine, April Book Corner“This is a beautifully illustrated and delightful book that give readers a little visit to the ocean until they can go and make their own memories there.” —Wishful Endings“An absolutely stunning wordless book. It takes you on a magic under water adventure with a little girl and her new octopus friend, seeing all the beautiful parts of the sea, and the realities of what damage people can cause to it.” —A Paper Girl, a Paper Tow“A day at the beach becomes a fantastic adventure for one girl who chooses to help a friend in need. When a young girl and her mother are collecting seashells together, the girl stumbles upon a small octopus who has been caught up in discarded plastic soda can rings. After freeing the small creature, an unexpected interaction invites the child into the ocean’s embrace. Together, the child and the octopus explore the undersea world, learning about both the ocean’s innate beauty and the caution required in order for all life to thrive. This wordless picture book uses images alone to tell a rich and important story celebrating the majesty of the natural world while cautioning against its destruction. Soft textures and pastel hues elegantly capture the natural beauty of the seashore, and readers of all ages will fall into the whimsical world of this story. By using frames, thoughtful placement, and clever design, the author guides the reader’s eye from one moment to the next without the need for words. This presentation invites readers to create stories of their own based on the guidance provided by the illustrations. At the end of the book, an author’s note and octopus facts are included to provide a memorable support for the story. At once a heartfelt exploration of kinship between humans and the natural world and a reminder of nature’s fragility, this story encourages readers to do their part to preserve the environment and cultivate a love of the earth’s creatures. This is a powerful addition to library collections serving young children and their families.” —Mary Lanni Reads“The themes of caring for the environment and the remarkable adventures that nature offers shine through the magic of the interactions between the characters. A delightful adventure that many young readers will enjoy along with the lovely art.” —GeoLibrarian Review“This is a powerful story with no words! The Octopus is beautifully illustrated and tells the story of a day at the beach for a little girl. It is filled with childhood joy, imagination, and even environmental justice. I love this for early readers, or even littles who haven’t learned to read yet, because you can have them read the story to you.” —Just a BX Mom Roundup“The Octopus by Guojing: I don’t even know how to describe the beauty of these illustrations; they are muted and calm but hold so much story, emotions, and a perfect ecology messages about humans’ impact on other living things, how helping animals is magical (literally in the book but figuratively in life), and how we can’t forget about the beauty that we can’t always see. And the book can be wordless because words are not needed; the illustrations hold all of that. Oh, and the cherries on the top? Good backmatter that is informative and brief enough for the audience, and don’t forget to take off the dust jacket for some beauty!” —Just a BX Mom Roundup“I cannot remember the last time I read a book without words! The illustrations in Guojing’s The Octopus told the story impeccably though. Guojing’s illustrations skillfully conveyed the mood of each scene as well as communication between the characters! I was so impressed. The art is also cozy and sweet—a real pleasure to look at. I found myself smiling throughout a lot of The Octopus and I teared up at times as well. This was such a nice story with a subtly embedded lesson about environmental consciousness for little and big readers. I hope to read more Guojing soon!” —Flavia Lately“This book is completely wordless and says so very much! The art is so beautiful, much of it could be framed individually. A story with a message without being pedantic.” —Sharon’s Book Rx