Son of a What?: Hello, My Name Is Octicorn by Kevin Diller and Justin Lowe

WHAT? HAVEN'T YOU EVER SEEN A OCTICORN BEFORE?

WE'RE HALF OCTOPUS, HALF UNICORN.

OKAY, WE MAY BE KINDA RARE.

PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK HOW MY PARENTS MET.

Opposite attract, at least apparently in the case of Octicorn's parents, and, at their cute meet at a party, costumes and masks added to the mystery of that "enchanted evening." For Octicorn, being one of a kind has its ups and down. Where does he belong--in the sea... or on the land? He's pretty good at water sports... except where that horn (or is it a corn?) on his head can be a problem at water polo or basketball. And...

THERE IS THE OCCASIONAL BEACH BALL INCIDENT.

But Octicorn is well suited for hugging!

And after all, Octicorn says he only wants what everyone else wants, an invitation to the party, the occasional cupcake, and...

FRIENDS, CRABS, AND A JET SKI.

Everyone feels like they don't belong sometimes, but being one of a kind gives Octicorn more than a leg up in being lonely, in Kevin Diller's and Justin Lowe's silly-serious story of fitting in with the crowd, Hello, My Name Is Octicorn, (Balzer and Bray, 2016). Although it's a bit of a stretch to get from a one-off cartoon character to empathy for the human outsider, this appealingly childlike cartoon character makes his case well, done as the illustrations are in an engaging faux naif style that will strike a chord with kids.