Little Octopus and the Vast Ocean

Bohdana Jarosova studied at library school in Brno before continuing at Charles University in Prague, where she pursued but did not complete her degree due to her interest in journalism. She spent 17 years working for Lidove noviny and Mladá fronta DNES, primarily covering healthcare and economics. In January 2023, she became a literary editor at B4U Publishing, where she combines journalistic rigor with creative freedom in children’s non-fiction. She lives in Prague.Filip Hornik is an illustrator, graphic designer, and member of the Association of Illustrators (ASIL). He graduated from the School of Applied Arts in Kremnica and completed his doctoral studies at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. Currently engaged in book and magazine illustration for children, he contributes to the Slovak magazines Bublina and Slniečko, in which he is a co-creator of the legendary character of Jožko Mrkvička. His illustrations have been part of many exhibitions around Europe. He lives and works in Smolenice, a small village under the mysterious Carpathian mountains.

"PreS-Gr 1–A fictional approach to a heady number of facts, this work explains the early life of a giant octopus and the environment it lives in. The facts are presented in small paragraph sections with one large bold sentence. The large bold sentence is a great starter for those with a shorter attention span, while the paragraphs expound on the topic for readers with larger attention spans and greater interest in the topic. Readers will learn about coral reefs, the life of an octopus, and food chains. The whimsical dialogue will keep readers interested in the specific octopus that is followed throughout the story. The composition of each spread allows for long seascapes full of plenty of sea life. Additionally, the vibrant colors of the animals alongside the realistic patterns on different sea life grab the attention. The choice to add a label to each type of fish, shark, and eel presented in the story leaves a lot more ocean information to explore later in different books. The well-written facts and fantastic pictures will spark curiosity in ocean life. Even adults are likely to learn an interesting fact from this in-depth but accessible book. VERDICT This is a great pick for broad and deep information on life in the ocean, meant for all libraries serving lower elementary students." —Veronika Parrone, School Library Journal "Appealing to browsers, the This is My Place series brings young readers into an animal’s habitat and shows them the sights. With energetic illustrations and a chatty narrative, readers are welcomed into the title animal’s home. The left-side text provides information on the animal while the right-side text focuses on the habitat itself, other inhabitants, and interesting facts about its geographic characteristics. Little Bat and the Fabulous Cave introduces Little Bat, who “was born on a sunny morning but doesn’t know what the sun is!” Little Bat investigates the cave where it lives with thousands of other bats, catching bugs and flying past stalaktite, stalagmites, and a stalagnate using echolocation. Little Octopus and the Vast Ocean follows Little Octopus as it first hatches under its mother’s watchful eyes. Soon it is swimming around, finding food, exploring the ocean floor, and even coming across a shipwreck. A charming, creative nonfiction series unfortunately missing many nonfiction text features, making it most suitable as a read-aloud or a basic introduction to cave or ocean habitats." —Julie Goldschmied, Booklist