BookDragon Books for the Diverse Reader

First a little note about the creators: Meomi is a dynamic design duo made up of Vicki Wong, based in Vancouver, and Michael Murphy, who calls Los Angeles home. Together, they also happen to write adorable, colorful kiddie books … and this is their fourth Octonauts adventure. [Somehow I missed the others, but better late than never, right?]  Pretty soon, Meomi will be internationally famous as they designed the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic mascots. You can say you saw them here first!

So the Octonauts are eight animal friends – including an otter, sausage dog, and of course an OCTopus – who wander around in their Octopod having lots of underwater adventures. Their latest peregrination takes them to a mysteriously abandoned, colorless city with a lone last inhabitant, an old turtle named Mr. Slowstache. With his home about to collapse, Mr. Slowstache asks the Octonauts to help him find a new abode, which proves no easy task.

But then Dr. Shellington, the nerdy sea otter, discovers that the city is built on top of a coral reef – which means it’s alive! The Octonauts get busy and restore the almost-suffocated reef, bringing back the technicolor balance and natural harmony once again.

While the kids are going to love the vibrant colors and the cuddly critters, parents can also share in an important message: even when you’ve screwed up Mother Nature, you still have another chance to make things right. Just make sure not to wait too long … we don’t have too many restorative chances left!

Readers: Children

Published: 2009