  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 10/01/2017 Lyall embroiders a true escapade with added dialogue and a bit of made-up backstory, but leaves names and actual events unchanged. Having enjoyed a career as a nautical escape artist, Inky the octopus “retires” to an aquarium where he regales his tank mate Blotchy, who has never lived anywhere else, with tales of his feats. When Blotchy challenges him to perform one more escape, Inky rises to the challenge—when the tank lid is left a bit ajar, he squeezes out, oozes along to a drain, and slips back to the sea: “Cephalopod history!” Serra adds anthropomorphic elements by fitting out Inky and most of the other brightly colored sea life with cartoon faces and human expressions (not to mention a calculator, playing cards, and other accessories). An author’s note explaining the truer aspects of the story would have been welcomed; for readers or listeners inclined to doubt Inky’s escape abilities, pair this with an informational introduction to these versatile and intelligent creatures, such as Laurence Pringle’s Octopuses! Strange and Wonderful (2015). - Copyright 2017 Booklist. Loading...
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