Leo and the Octopus

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This is a great book to read with children and help them understand that making friends can be challenging for some. That sometimes we just need to have some understanding and that can make a big difference in someone’s life. As a young child growing up with Asperger’s Syndrome, Leo can find the world to be a stressful, lonely place. We follow Leo’s journey as he begins a heart-warming friendship with an octopus named Maya. My Comments I think this book would work well at the beginning of the school year to introduce how people respond to different stimuli and could be used to discuss ASD and SEN, and the general idea of ‘difference’. This story shows a strong relationship between an octopus and a child with autism. The text has strong PSHE and science links. This text explores issues around neurodiversity and provides opportunities for discussion as well as exploring strategies to cope in a neurotypical world. The story also encourages children to be curious and reflect on their relationship with the natural world. Links and themes: Before I even had a chance to put this book on display in my class library, children were asking me about it. There’s just something about the fluorescent orange that really gets them! Themes

But one terrible November day, the lives of Daniel and his family are changed forever when an accident renders Daniel a shadow of his former self. As Daniel retreats into himself, his family slowly begin to fall apart, without this bright boy at the heart of their lives. Leo knew exactly how Maya felt. Sometimes he wished he could squirt water at all the things that annoyed him to make them disappear. Isabelle Marinov The keeper invites Leo to touch Maya. When he does she turns white. This means she’s calm, and likes Leo! That’s another amazing thing about the Octopus. Their colour shows how they are feeling. Leo wishes people were colour coded too. I was graciously offered a physical copy of Leo and the Octopus, and I was very excited to read it. Such a sweet story with a powerful message. Leo struggles to make sense of the world. He doesn't understand the other children in his class, and they don't seem to understand him. But then one day, Leo meets Maya.

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It seems that books (and films) revealing the astonishing complexity, intelligence, and emotional capacity of octopuses are having a moment. This story and others lead me to root for that trend and hope it expands and sustains. This story has so much going for it in fostering empathy and awareness of neurodivergent children, but it is much more than that. Even with the neon orange color accents, the tone and pace of the text and the images create a subdued, supportive, and engaging structure for readers of all kinds to dive right in to the story, and into the discussions it could spark. Endorsed by Professor Tony Atwood, author of Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals Isabelle Marinov has written a sensitive portrayal of the challenges of autism in her picture book Leo and the Octopus. Sensitively illustrated by Chris Nixon, this story looks at how young Leo often is overwhelmed by his senses: lights become too bright, noises too loud. He finds refuge in a dark, cardboard box, where he can reset himself when everything feels out of control. Then, one day Leo meets Maya, an octopus who seems to react similarly to uncomfortable situations – turning red when she is frightened, and white when she’s calm. Leo understands how Maya is feeling and identifies similar traits in himself. Through his relationship with Maya, Leo begins to look at the world through someone else’s eyes and to understand their difficulties, which enables him to make his first human friend. He doesn’t enjoy the world outside his bedroom. It’s too noisy, too bright, and too confusing. He’d rather read a book inside his large cardboard box house he has made.

Leo wonders if he’s on the ‘ wrong planet‘. He feels like an alien, battered by a world that is ‘ too bright’ and ‘ too loud’. What’s more, it seems as though the other children do not understand him. It leads Leo to retreat to his cardboard box, where he might read and feel safe.

Leo and the Octopus is a brilliant book for building empathy; it really raises awareness of what life is like living with autism. ✭✭✭✭✭”

The public aquarium offers a respite and a potential friend. Colors and sounds are muted. If you've ever been to a public aquarium you'll slide right into Leo's experience: water and creatures move at a slower pace, voices are muted, and water plants offer gentle motion while staying anchored in their places. She is also a teacher and has extensive experience working with autistic children and their families and caregivers. Discover a heart-warming new picture book about a little boy with autism and the octopus who helps him understand the world. With fun activities, colouring and tips to help children explore what autism means, alongside guidance for parents and caregivers. When an impromptu trip to a chip shop seems to briefly engage Daniel with the real world, the family decide to revisit their Chip Shop Championships, on a quest to find the best chip shop in the country.What a wonderful book. Isabelle Marinov handles autism with incredible sensitivity, whilst somehow also conveying so much about what it’s like to see the world through the eyes of a child who has Asperger’s Syndrome. Both Leo and Maya are fully developed characters, and their blossoming relationship is a joy to read. The story itself never uses the word autism - only that Leo has difficulties with 'living on the wrong planet' and feeling like an 'alien', that he doesn't know much about friendship, is shown to have sensory sensitivities, becomes heavily interested in information about his new octopus friends and then infodumps on the new child who joins the story later. An excellent picture book to help classes in KS2 understand and empathise with how children on the autistic spectrum experience the world’

Maya is an octopus, and the more Leo learns about her, the more he thinks that perhaps he isn't alone in this world, after all. Leo struggles to make sense of the world. He doesn’t understand the other children in his class, and they don’t seem to understand him. But then one day, Leo meets Maya. Maya is an octopus, and the more Leo learns about her, the more he thinks that perhaps he isn’t alone in this world, after all. Win a copy of the book and a mood-changing octopus plushie!A gentle story about a boy with Asperger’s Syndrome, all while we learn about the amazing creature called the Octopus.