Greek / Greece
Och, chtapodi, lathos podi!
(Uh oh, Octopus, wrong leg!)
Papatheodulu, Antōnēs
(Papatheodoulou, Antonis)
(text)
Mpulumpasēs, Petros
(Bouloubasis, Petros)
(illus.)
Athēna: Papadopulos (Papadopoulos), 2016. – [28] p.
ISBN 978-960-569-539-2
Octopus | Profession | Industriousness | Picture book
Reading age: 3+
White Ravens issue: 2017
Giannos the octopus no longer scampers about on the playground with his tentacles. He is now all grown up and making a living. Most of all, he’s ever so efficient! One tentacle cooks, another photographs, another cuts hair. Giannos is a gardener, a fireman, a doctor... where would the city be without him! But sometimes he is tired, and by early morning even his tentacles get all confused. Then the gardening shears turn up at the hair salon, or mustard gets smeared on the bruised bump instead of ointment. The fire engine extinguishes the kitchen gas stove, the mason shovels cream and powdered sugar into the garden. Uh oh, octopus, wrong leg! In this story, much-praised author Antonis Papatheodoulou sparks the empathy of little readers by showing in a concrete and funny way that no one is perfect and mistakes can be forgiven, especially when someone is overwhelmed. On top of this, the book is also about professions. Petros Bouloubasis’s colourful illustrations mirror the charming chaos with wit and many details.