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.

You Can Count on Octopus! Thank You, Octopus by Darren Farrell

BEDTIME, AHOY!

AWWWW!

A boy and his babysitter begin the bedtime routine, with the usual resistance.

But when the bedroom is in a tubby little tugboat and the sitter is a red octopus, you can be pretty sure this is not your ordinary every-evening bedtime book.

Octopus tries to lead the boy toward bed by offering a nice, warm bath first.

But the tub is filled with nice, warm... egg salad!

Er...

GROSS!

NO THANKS, OCTOPUS!

Octopus is helpful. He offers to dry the boy off with the breeze from his tuba.

Politely, the boy declines. Sheesh!

Octopus suggests the boy put on some pajamas. But... Octopus tosses them on top of the Statue of Liberty.

Things only get goofier, as Octopus clearly tries to make a game out of getting ready for bed. He cranks up the amp, tunes up his guitar, and offers a rock-and-roll lullaby. The boy politely demurs.

Octopus blithely assures his charge that monsters under the bed will be NO problem.

He's put all of them in the closet! He reaches for the closet door to prove it.

"NO THANKS, OCTOPUS!!"

But when it's time for a good-night hug, the boy finds a way (bear-ly) to turn the tables on his silly sitter, in Darren Farrell's inventive little bedtime story, Thank You, Octopus (Dial Book, 2014).  Using a picturesque backdrop of the New York City harbor, Farrell sets his plush-toylike characters in chubby, blocked flat colors, adding to the quirky tone of this awesomely absurd sleepy time tale. Super-giggle fare to take time-for-bed resistors under the sheets with a smile on their faces! Kirkus Reviews says, "A maritime—and bedtime—delight."