Book Review: 'Inky's Amazing Escape' by Sy Montgomery

✰✰✰✰ Curious and eager to discover, the octopus is a worthy subject for a children’s book. Based on true events, Inky was a real octopus, who hatched from an egg in the ocean. Equipped with everything he needed from birth, Inky grew up and learned to survive on his own.

Always on the lookout for food, one day Inky ended up in a lobster trap. The fisherman took him to the local aquarium, and soon he was happily exploring his new environment. There’s lots to do in his tank, and he met people too. Still, Inky wanted to know what else there was to see. One night when his tank’s lid wasn’t secure, Inky decided to explore. What was out there? Where will his curiosity lead him? Check out the book to find out.

The Bottom Line: This picture book will delight and educate kids in the crafty ways octopuses can outsmart us. Presented in colorful, engaging illustrations in mixed media including watercolor, gouache, acrylics, and oil pastel on special papers in addition to collage with found papers and finished digitally, this book includes an interesting endnote, 8 fun facts about octopuses, and  suggestions for further reading. Check this out for your next classroom storytime. Curious kids will want to know more about these equally curious creatures.

Details: Inky’s Amazing Escape: How a Very Smart Octopus Found His Way Home written by Sy Montgomery & illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford. Picture book published by A Paula Wiseman Book in 2018. 32 p. ISBN: 978-1-68505-282-9