Leo and the Octopus

Product Information

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. Discover a heart-warming new picture book about a little boy with autism and the octopus who helps him understand the world. 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).

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

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. 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:She is also a teacher and has extensive experience working with autistic children and their families and caregivers.

Octopus Fact File - Twinkl - Educational Resources KS1 Octopus Fact File - Twinkl - Educational Resources

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. A beautiful picture book written by Isabelle Marinov with amazing illustrations by Chris Nixon follows a little boy, who has Autism, called Leo who believes that he is living on the wrong planet. One day Leo meets Maya, the octopus, and the more he learns about her the more Leo starts to believe that isn’t alone in this world anymore. Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing -The octopus keeper is not judgmental, he is observant and curious, recognizing those same traits in Leo. With keeper's encouragement and acceptance, Leo launches a personal mission to learn all he can about Octopuses, sharing those facts via a notebook on several spreads. Impressed, the keeper invites Leo to interact with Maya the octopus, providing ever more challenging puzzles. All of which Maya solves, abby the way. Loud noises and bright colors make him uncomfortable. He doesn’t understand people or enjoy being around large crowds. But he makes a friend in Maya the octopus. Maya later provided an opportunity for Leo to make a new friend as well.

Leo and the Octopus Book Review - BooksForTopics Leo and the Octopus Book Review - BooksForTopics

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. 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: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 | Book reviews | RGfE

Overall, I loved this book and can see myself reading it to my son, once he’s a bit older, and having discussions about how sometimes people can make friends easy, some need more help, and what we can do to help. I would recommend this picture book to young children and to parents to read to their youngsters about how being different is okay, and how can we show acceptance and care to everyone. One afternoon Leo notes that a particularly large, noisy crowd is stressing out Maya. (Read this wonderful book to discover how he knew that.) His empathy and concern allow Leo to solve his own puzzle, figuring out how he might support and protect his new friend. Leo's experience with Maya (being curious, non judgmental, and learning more) allow him to apply those strategies with an actual human, one who appears curious, too.Marinov's experience with autism comes from her son, and her reading of 'The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome' by Tony Attwood - a (as far as I know, neurotypical) controversial psychologist who still uses the term Asperger's/Aspie despite it's outdated terminology, and reviewed the story for Marinov. 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.