Good Thing You're Not an Octopus!

by Julie Markes, Maggie Smith (Illustrator)

Overview

If you were an octopus, you'd have eight legs to put into pants!

Follow one little boy through his day as he playfully considers how mealtime, bath time, nap time, and many other activities would be different if he were a bird, a tiger, or any number of baby animals. Julie Markes's first picture book is charmingly illustrated by Maggie Smith.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780064435864
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/21/2006
Edition description:	REPRINT
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.75(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.09(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Julie Markes lives with her husband, Eric Schine, and their two sons, Charlie and Nicholas, in Brooklyn, New York. Her books include Thanks For Thanksgiving; I Can't Talk Yet, But When I Do ...; Good Thing You're Not An Octopus!; Sidewalk 123; and Sidewalk.

Maggie Smith has written and illustrated many picture books including My Blue Bunny, Bubbit and Beach Day. An accomplished sewist and owner of the Etsy shop Maggierama, she lives in Massachusetts. Visit her online at maggiebooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

PreS-A delightful romp with a little boy who is reluctant to do those daily activities that are part of a preschooler's learning experience. As readers follow him and his stuffed frog through the day, comparisons to various animals are drawn. As he struggles to get dressed, the narrative reads, "If you were an octopus, you would have eight legs to put in your pants!" The accompanying illustration shows an exasperated octopus looking troubled at his attempt to accomplish this feat. Other comparisons include a caterpillar trying to put on 16 shoes, a shark brushing 200 teeth, and a bear having to nap all winter long. All conclude with the refrain, "It's a good thing you're not a-." In the end, the preschooler's challenges are summed up with "It's a good thing you're you!" Just enough science information for preschoolers to absorb is presented simply and entertainingly and Smith's watercolor illustrations in bright, bold colors are whimsical and charming. The ridiculousness of the animals in the boy's situation will not be lost on this age group and will prompt laughter all around.-Patti Gonzales, Los Angeles Public Library Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

PLB: 0-06-028466-8 First-time author Markes's impish tale will tickle tiny funny bones. Burdensome tasks seem a lot less onerous to a young boy when he considers the alternatives. Focusing on mundane happenings in a toddler's typical day, Markes touches on a host of classic toddler power struggles: getting dressed, submitting to the confines of a car seat, and the dreaded bedtime, with its attendant traumas of brushing teeth and taking a bath. However, a quick peek at the animal kingdom provides the recalcitrant tot with all the motivation he needs to determine that the grass is greener on his side of the fence. Loathe naptime? Just think, Markes cautions readers,"If you were a bear, you would have to nap all winter long!" Preschoolers will delight in the unabashedly silly animal/human comparisons, and may even learn a little something too. For instance, donning one pair of shoes seems a breeze in comparison to a caterpillar's whopping 16 tootsies that would need to be shod. Smith's (Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon, 2000, etc.) lighthearted, full-color illustrations provide a perfect comic counterpart to the outlandish tale. Each topic culminates in a full-bleed, two-page illustration depicting both the human and animal youngsters engaged in similar activities, with uproariously funny results. A wonderfully droll way to diffuse toddler tantrums, this should be tucked into every diaper bag. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews