Text & Illustrations Magdalena Rutová

The main character of this large-format picture book, an octopus, decides to find out more about the life of the humans who supply it with all kinds of things in the sea: plastic packaging, broken furniture, toys, defunct mobile phones, etc. It likes reading comics and books about nature and decides to write a unique book about its adventures in the world of people. Its astonishment at various human situations is genuine and, as it were, impartial, offering a fresh perspective on people’s activities on Earth. 

The octopus builds itself an unusual house, attends a concert and intervenes to stop xenophobic behaviour in a supermarket, and its house eventually becomes an oasis for those without a roof over their head. The elaborate large-scale illustrations feature wonderfully detailed artwork which wittily complements the tales of an octopus among humans.

This illustrated educational book is notable for its humorous objectivity and highly detailed artwork. The plot centres on a “wise cephalopod” with an interest in life on dry land who is amazed at all the things humans surround themselves with.

• Bologna Ragazzi Awards 2024: Fiction Special mention
• The White Ravens catalogue 2023
• The Golden Ribbon Award (Czech IBBY): text and illustrations (in both categories)