  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 06/01/2012 *Starred Review* Nyeu’s (Wonder Bear, 2008, and Bunny Days, 2010) latest picture-book treasure is structured along the lines of Mo Willems’ Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator! (2011) as a series of quick, comical pieces introducing two besties and their warm and supportive friendship. The book opens with a drop of contentiousness in a story that looks to answer the age-old question of what eight-tentacled sea creatures wear to keep their extremities warm. Squid says socks; Octopus insists mittens. Wise Old Turtle suggests scarves and earmuffs, so you can see what his advice is worth. In the end, sharing saves the day in “a splendid exchange of socks and mittens.” Elsewhere, Octopus lifts Squid’s spirits when he is feeling a bit ordinary, the two cavort about with cowboy-boot hats, and finally they try to puzzle out what they’ll find inside a fortune cookie. The stories are pleasant and affirming, all right, but the biggest waves spring from Nyeu’s smooth-lined, inviting artwork. She has got a spectacular grasp of coloring, with muted, matching tones in paisley and polka-dot patterns that are uniformly delicious on the eyes. And the compositions sway with teeming wreaths of deep-sea flora and fauna here and hilariously anachronistic details there (how does one eat soup underwater, anyway?). This positive, upbeat, and comforting bundle is sure to bring smiles. A good choice for goofy, interactive read-alouds. - Copyright 2012 Booklist. School Library Journal - 06/01/2012 PreS-K—The chatty plots in these four stories are inventive, quirky, gentle, and sweet. In one, Octopus finds a cowboy boot. Is it a hat? A flower pot? A doorstop? Everyone has an opinion, and readers will enjoy knowing a little more than the sea creatures do about this subject. In another story, Squid has had a fabulous dream that waking life can't compete with—or so he thinks. Every page is generously filled with detailed ink and silkscreen art containing visual jokes, commentary by other sea creatures, and character-enhancing details. Octopus, for example, is usually painting, sculpting, or drawing—Lobster is his favorite model—and he wears berets and neckerchiefs. Squid, a champion knitter, sports a huge, pompom-topped wool hat. Readers who scrutinize the pages will be rewarded with images such as a pig watering a cupcake plant or a photo of Octopus riding a tandem bike with Wonder Bear. Best for small groups, Squid and Octopus can be enjoyed one story at a time by very young listeners or in one big gulp by those with a longer attention span. They'll all want to linger over the pictures.—Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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