Leo and the Octopus

Product Information

In this three-week Writing Root, children will receive a letter with a cuddly toy octopus from Leo, the main character, asking them for advice. They will explore and discuss how everyone is different and how it is important to be considerate and respectful to how individuals feel. They will celebrate the uniqueness of individuals, discuss the importance of inclusion and indirectly explore some of the considerations around autism. Children will have opportunities to talk about their feelings and what can trigger different feelings in different people. They will explore a range of emotion adjectives and the non-verbal cues that can accompany them. They will then go on a journey with Leo to investigate and learn all they can about octopuses. They will learn a range of skills building towards writing a fact file exhibiting all they have learned. This will be published as a brochure for the London Aquarium. Children will have opportunities to explore writing in simple past and present tense, using plurals and different sentence types. This Writing Root will be enriched by planning a trip to an aquarium to look at octopuses firsthand. A great non-fiction book to accompany this unit is Obsessive about Octopuses by Owen Davey. Synopsis of Text: The sensitive descriptions throughout the book of what it is like to have autism are accurate and perceptive on so many levels" (Professor Tony Attwood, author of Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals). Text Rationale:

Leo and the Octopus by Isabelle Marinov, Chris Nixon

She is also a teacher and has extensive experience working with autistic children and their families and caregivers. Isabelle is a graduate of Cornell Law School and lives in Luxembourg. When she is not writing, she can be found on the tennis court or in the dojo. She speaks four languages fluently. 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. Well the struggle is over, this book tells the story of Leo, what goes through his mind, how he is feeling, my children could understand their thoughts and feelings better and my husband and me can understand them more. This is a three-session spelling seed for the book Leo and the Octopus by Isabelle Marinov. Below is the coverage from Appendix 1 of the National Curriculum 2014.

Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)? Leo and the Octopus is a beautiful story about finding comfort in others, even when differences divide you from others. A masterfully told story with many layers added by the thoughtful illustrations about a boy named Leo who is neurodiverse (later revealed in a note by the author to be on the autistic spectrum). I am a teacher of special needs and have sisters who also have special needs, so when the opportunity to review a children’s book based on a boy with autism, I jumped at the chance!

Leo and the Octopus PaperPie. Leo and the Octopus

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. 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. Win a copy of the book and a mood-changing octopus plushie!Leo and the Octopus is a brilliant book for building empathy; it really raises awareness of what life is like living with autism. ✭✭✭✭✭” This book beautifully highlights, explores and explains how our world can feel like an alien planet to some children. Leo, a child with Asperger's syndrome, develops a connection with Maya the octopus, a creature he feels he has much in common with.

Leo and the Octopus: Isabelle Marinov, Chris Nixon Leo and the Octopus: Isabelle Marinov, Chris Nixon

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. About This Edition ISBN: Leo is a curious child but he feels different from the other children in his class and he doesn't understand them. He doesn't like too much noise and the commotion of the classroom can sometimes upset him. When he meets Maya the Giant Pacific Octopus he builds a friendship that assures him he is not alone. The story will strike a chord with children who have Asperger's Syndrome, as well as educate other children about the condition in a way they can relate to. The story itself is sweet and simple. A child feeling out of place and finding friendship with an animal is so realistic that I couldn’t help but fall in love with Leo. Following his journey to finding a friend, I’m certain, can be very relatable to many children and adults. After all, animals, especially misunderstood ones, just want someone to reach out and show some compassion. This is exactly what Leo does with Maya. What I also loved is how Leo doesn’t just stop with Maya, the octopus, but he also is able to share this interest in octopuses with another child. 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. My children have Aspergers syndrome and over the years we have struggled to find a book that they could relate to, and a book that my husband and myself could understand what go through their minds,Isabelle Marinov first started writing when her parents bought her a typewriter for her ninth birthday. She went on to work in law for fifteen years before returning to her lifelong passion for writing full time. She has now written a range of picture book and screenplays, but Boy Underground is her first middle grade novel.