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. 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. Photos of this book really don’t do it justice; the front and back covers have a brilliantly fluorescent orange that jumps off the page. This is a great book to read with children and help them understand that making friends can be challenging for some.

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

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.As a parent and child therapist, I highly recommend and will be on the lookout for more books from this author! Leo struggles to make sense of the world, as he has ASD, and finds it difficult to fit in with the other children, thinking that he just be living on the wrong planet.

Leo and the Octopus | Literacy Tree Leo and the Octopus | Literacy Tree

The illustrations are beautiful, and the tiny details like the headphones, the colours, the framing. 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’. 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. Not everyone can read social cues, or infer how someone else is feeling: how much simpler things could be if we just telegraphed our feelings more directly, like by turning a specific color when we felt a particular way. 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.

Leo and the Octopus by Isabelle Marinov | Goodreads

In any case, her sensitivity to the subject matter shines through in this story, which should also help neurotypical children understand their autistic friends better.Impressed, the keeper invites Leo to interact with Maya the octopus, providing ever more challenging puzzles. Leo e polvo" explora a dinâmica de uma criança que tem Síndrome de Asperger, uma perturbação do espectro do autismo, e parte da experiência individual da autora enquanto mãe de uma criança autista.

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

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.

This book is a fantastic conversation starter to help kids 4-8 think about the ways we are all unique in the way we respond to the world around us and how friendships are made. It depicts, Leo, a child on the autism spectrum, and describes how out of place he feels in his world and how important it is for him to find an affinity with someone – or something - else.