Octopus escapes by Maile Meloy, illustrated by Felicita Sala

 Many picture book creators' imaginations were captured by the 2016 escape of "Inky" from an aquarium in New Zealand. I've read a variety of them and was generally not too impressed, as the creators seemed incapable of appreciating the intelligence and ability of octopuses without giving them human emotions and attributes. I will admit that this fictionalized story falls into that category, but I loved the art so much that I will give its anthropomorphic treatment a pass.

The octopus is introduced living deep within the ocean, a splash of vivid orange against the deep blues, pale yellows, and soft grays of his undersea home. Captured by a human, he's next seen in an aquarium, where he enjoys the different tricks and challenges of his new home... but finds the routine of daily life boring. Saying farewell to the human, who is kind but doesn't understand his need for his underwater home, he travels back to the ocean. Ignoring his hunger and avoiding boats, he makes his way back to his home cave, sweeps out the sand and fish, and settles back into his own home, where "he could do what he wanted."

I love the glowing illustrations and the more conceptual message of the book, that it's better to be challenged and experience different things than stay where it's safe, is fine, but it does reinforce the simplistic and outdated message that animals are always safe and happy in the wild and captivity is a burden. I am assuming this is a Giant Pacific Octopus, which means the male would have about 3-5 years in the wild, assuming he is not eaten by a predator (or a human), and there is not enough information about this octopus to know whether or not their species is endangered.

Verdict: From a fiction standpoint, it's a nice read-aloud and the art is very attractive, but I'd want to pair it with a nonfiction book about octopuses. That's probably just my own perspective though.

ISBN: 9781984812698; Published May 2021 by Putnam; Review copy provided by publisher