The Octopus Scientists: Exploring the Mind of a Mollusk

Reviewed by: Kathy George - Gray Public Library, Gray, Me 04039, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 8, 2015

Review

Eight facts about octopuses: there are 250 species, plural is octopuses or octopods, it has 3 hearts, its brain is wrapped around its throat, 3/5 of its nerve cells are in its arms, its blood is blue, their arms can regenerate ( its severed arm can thrash around attracting predators) , they belong to one of the most successful groups of animals on earth- the mollusks - its class cephalopods(head-foot) which means that their legs are attached to their head and its mouth is located in its armpits, they taste with their skin including its eye lids! I had never thought about an octopus as anything but a rather creepy ocean dweller and that there are a couple of sci-fi movies where they are huge and destroy everything it their path! Sy Montgomery has written another excellent non fiction picture book to add to the Scientists in the Field series about this little known but fascinating creature. He and photographer Keith Ellenbogen take the reader, with a group of scientists to study the various species of octopods found in French Polynesia. The information about this animal is mindboggling. The group of scientists are as interesting as the topic they are studying- a behaviorist, a marine ecologist, a psychologist and a interpretive specialist. Supported by incredible photographs, this group of scientists invites the reader into a world most of us know nothing about. We keep reading because the story of this animal is not only fascinating but important to the ecology of our planet. This is a worthwhile purchase for the information on the species and those who devote their lives to uncovering the mysteries of this creature.

Overall Book Score: excellent