The Octopus Escapes

by Maile Meloy, Felicita Sala (Illustrator)

From a New York Times bestselling author comes this poignant, lyrical tale about nature's great escape artist—now in a board book edition!

The octopus is happy in his undersea cave until one day, a diver captures him and takes him to live in an aquarium. The humans give him food and tests that look like toys. But every day is the same, and the octopus soon tires of captive life. And so, under the cover of darkness, he makes his daring escape...

Maile Meloy and Felicita Sala bring us a story full of excitement and heart, about the thrill of hard-won freedom and the pull of home.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Nature, Fiction, Storytime, Adventure

40 pages, Board Book

Published May 9, 2023

About the author

Maile Meloy is the author of the novels Liars and Saints and A Family Daughter, the story collections Half in Love and Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It (named one of the Ten Best Books of the Year by the New York Times Book Review), and the award-winning Apothecary trilogy for young readers. She has received the PEN/Malamud Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship, and was chosen as one of Granta’s Best Young American Novelists. Her new novel for adults, Do Not Become Alarmed, will be published June 6, 2017.

Reviews

[Moonkiszt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Featured in a grandma reads session. . .

In which we are presented with Octopus, curious, contented and equanimous within their home cave in the ocean. Settled and satisfied, Octopus ventures out one dark day and, caught in the act of fully exploring the inner lining of a black glove, is dragged into the world of humans.

Octopus reports thus:

Then he was in a glass house that wasn't a cave.
The glass house was in a big room where a human peered in at him.
Behind her, there were sad gray sharks and slow sea stars
in glass houses of their own.

My groups and I loved this book. . .it ends well, and reminds us of the two very different perspectives - human v animal, and that our respective pursuits of happiness conflict on many levels, and that while aquariums are educational (for humans), they are prisons to those being observed. . .

We enjoyed the words AND the illustrations of this book - both were superb!

[A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicely written, well illustrated, but I think I'd pick a nonfiction version of the story instead, like Inky's Amazing Escape: How a Very Smart Octopus Found His Way Home.

[H.L.H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Octopi are unsettlingly intelligent

[Abby Johnson]

This is a really cute and fun story to share with the young ocean and aquarium fans in your life. Octopus lives a happy life in his cave until one day he's captured and taken to an aquarium. It's okay, but boring and Octopus misses his ocean life very much. So one night he decides to escape and go back to his cave under the sea. Pair it with a nonfiction story along the same lines - Inky's Amazing Escape - and start a conversation about the pros and cons of aquariums and zoos.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

An octopus enjoys living in its under water cave watching fish swim by, chasing his dinner, and sweeping the sand from his cave. But his life changes when he's captured and taken to live in a big glass house. The octopus was content for a while, but soon tired of being trapped, so he made plans to escape, and return back where he belonged.

[Jessica McKendry · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable book about an octopus who escapes an aquarium!

[Ashlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

How this doesn’t have a higher average rating I do not know. I’m obsessed with this lil octopus and his journey to freedom, and the colour and expressiveness of Sala’s illustrations are utterly arresting.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the first half of this to one baby, and then came back to it the next day, and read the second half to a baby who could’ve been the same one or her sister, who knows. Beautiful illustrations!

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun tale of a captured octopus who escapes his aquarium, and manages to return to his beloved cave below the sea. With beautiful illustrations by Felicita Sala.

[Roben · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book includes some factual information about octopi and I know they are very smart and great escape artists. But I would have liked to know if this story was based on a real octopus. There was no author's note at the end; nothing to encourage further reading about the octopus. I guess the story just left me wanting to know a little bit more about this specific octopus.
I think Inky's Amazing Escape by Sy Montgomery might be a better choice for an octopus escape tale. Or at least read the books together.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy.

[Laura]

We got this from the library as my 3 year old (and I, as well) really like octopuses. The art is great, and the story is engaging, but overall it is muddy about what "lesson" it wants to teach about aquariums. I was expecting something like the news stories of octopuses escaping tanks to go eat crabs from other tanks or turn off annoying lights or spit water at employees they don't like, and to end with it getting more enrichment or being put in the large tank with other creatures, more like it had in the wild, or possibly more engagement, but for the octopus to escape the aquarium and live back in the wild is just... a choice. Once that my kids would question when we go to visit the aquarium. And I don't necessarily feel educated in conservation biology enough to discuss it in a satisfactory way. There's also some language with the sharks being glassy eyed and bored that has me very confused about why this book is anti-aquarium without any kind of nonfiction author's note about conservation attempts or anything. This book could have been set in a private zoo or something else but it was an aquarium. I'm just not sure what to think of the message.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite cephalopods is the the Giant Red Pacific Octopus, so when I found a book on one of my book review newsletters about an escaping one (and octopuses are fabulous escape artists), I knew I had to get this book! The octopus in this story was happy in his little cave, venturing out to catch mussels and crabs for dinner, and enjoying the "little shivery waves and the big tumbling ones". Suddenly his world is turned upside down when he is one day grabbed by "something new" and ends up in a glass house far away from his cave. He had been brought to an aquarium and given tests (these were my favorite part of the book because I've seen octopuses doing tests like this on videos), and fed but he was not happy. One night he makes his escape and manages to escape back into the ocean and eventually back to his cave. I love the brightly painted watercolor and pastel illustrations in this book as it makes the octopus and the ocean come alive! Highly recommended for ages 4-10, 5 stars!

[Pascal Scallon-Chouinard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming story about an octopus who lived happily at home before being put into captivity in an aquarium. Its desire for freedom and to return to its habitat gives her the strength to escape and return home. The illustrations are pretty and the rhymes are always a pleasure to read. The book also allows us to learn more about this animal (habitat, diet, ingenuity, behaviour, agility, etc.), which made the character a favourite with my little girl. However, there are no real morals or lessons to be learned, other than the impact of humans on nature and the issue of keeping animals in captivity. There aren’t really any secondary characters either: everything is centred on the octopus only.

It’s still an enjoyable read and a very nice album, fun to read with my little girl.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

An octopus seemingly has a repetitive life in their underwater cave. When a diver takes them away to an aquarium to study them and show how smart the octopus is with tests, the new life doesn't suit the octopus at all. One night, after taking their photo to let the aquarium staff know that they're okay, the Octopus makes their daring escape for freedom and the home they've always known.

Cute illustrations and a simple Plotline about life in captivity and pursuing self-freedom both shine in this story.

[charlene.librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd like this title to go forward for the GA Children's Picturebook Awards list of nominees for 2024. It's wonderfully illustrated with the predominant orange octopus and lovely underwater two-page spreads. We get a real feel for the contrast of the octopus's freedom and the aquarium where "sad gray sharks and slow sea stars live." Readers get a glimpse of underwater creatures and conservation through the eyes of the main character. I like the way this title presents subtle consequences for the reader to consider, consequences that are not often delivered in picturebooks.

[Lilly Roche · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about an octopus who lived his life in the ocean, but then got taken by a human and was put in an aquarium. Once the octopus was trapped in the aquarium he was sad and missed his home. The octpous made a plan to escape amd was successful. He found his home in the ocean again and was content and happy. This book is a fun little read aloud for students. I read it in my clinical and the students all loved the book, even my clinical teacher liked it and asked if she could take a picture of it:)

[Robin Pelletier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Octopuses are my favorite animals - so when I saw this cover at the bookstore, I knew I needed to read it. Powerful message on keeping ocean life in aquariums and how it’s just not as sufficient as their home in the ocean. Also, this picture book beautifully illustrated just how smart octopuses are: solving puzzles, escaping mazes, opening jars, taking pictures and ultimately, find their way back to their ocean home cave. Loved the striking colors and the themes.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

An octopus is tricked by a glove and is taken from his ocean home to an aquarium, where he eats the same thing every day, takes different tests, and takes pictures of people visitors. He figures out a way to get out of his tank and makes the long journey back home. While it is a story, this book shows how smart an octopus is with its changing shape and color. Really makes you feel for the animals in zoos and aquariums...

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to know what to do for animals in times where more people want to catch animals for sport. Keeping them alive in aquariums is a way to keep them alive and observe them, but at what cost. This story attempts to give a voice to an Octopus who faces such a situation. Are animals aware of their new surroundings? That's something to look into. I would ask an oceanographer for the most accurate of facts.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Octopus is minding his own business, living in his cave enjoying life when all of a sudden a human hand reaches in to get him. Octopus wrestles the glove off the human hand, but when he hides inside the glove, he is caught and transported to an aquarium. Life in the aquarium isn't awful, but it is boring! Eventually, the intelligent octopus finds a way to escape. Fantastic illustrations and an easy-to-follow story make this a nice addition to story time.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story and I think kids will too - a great way to start the conversation about keeping animals in their natural habitats. I felt that there should have been an authors note or an Information page about types of Octopus or ocean conservation. But the illustrations and story were still worth it.

[Kaylee Sulda]

Summary: This book is about the journey of an octopus getting taken to the aquarium. The book goes through how the octopus escapes. The book is very colorful and shows the journey the octopus takes.

How would I use this in my classroom?
-I could use it as a fun book to read to the students
-I could use this book to talk about where they think the octopus is going

[Danielle Robertson Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The anti-aquarium vibe is a bit too strong for my taste. Unlike the aquarium in this book, there are places where the aquarists take better care of these intelligent creatures. I suppose I could use this book to prompt conversation with my kids about what a good aquarium would do in the vein of rescue rehabilitation and release.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed the Wonderbook from my library, and my 3yo especially enjoyed this book. I loved the sensory quality of the language (cool spots in warm water and warm spots in cool, waves that are little shivery ones or big tumbling ones), and the reader took her time with the reading, giving us time to appreciate the illustrations while she read.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook while simultaneously flipping through the printed book (which has become my favourite way of enjoying books with illustrations, hearkening back to childhood when my parents would read to me). While the narration is good, the artwork is fantastic and the pictures are definitely the best part. The story starts off great, but then sort of fizzles out at the end.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ocean Storytime! Which somehow turned into octopus storytime without me realizing it. This is almost like the children's version of Remarkably Bright Creatures, and I am a tiny bit disappointed that no parents commented on it after the program. It does have a happier ending - the octopus returns to his home!

[Ashlyn Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The overall message of this book is to not take what you have for granted as you never know how good you have it until it is gone. I would incorporate this book in my classroom when teaching students the 'grass is not always greener on the other side.' The octopus tries to escape his tank that he was trapped in once he was trapped by the human in a glove.

[Pam Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a darling story with such vivid fun illustrations I had the chance to watch this book during a read-aloud at our store and the young children were just riveted! Great read-aloud for so many ages.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This octopus is better in the wild and back at their den and they'll make their escape to get back there after countless pictures from tourists and brain games.

It's bright but carries an underlying message about animals in captivity without being heavy-handed.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever octopus! Though this has a happy ending, I felt a bit melancholic when I was finished reading. All those other octopodes (and other creatures) who were not free. Good lesson taught in this brightly illustrated book. Be prepared for questions at the end.