#OCTOPUS EYE SUITE HOW TO#
#OCTOPUS EYE SUITE SERIES#

I understand this is one of the trade-offs made when trying to preserve the design of the book. Pink on black can be hard to read when the font size is small. For example, white text on a pale lavender can be challenging for readers with mild visual impairment. ItвЂ™s an assumption that you canвЂ™t make for younger readers, even if most adults will work it out.ДЇinally, and perhaps most importantly are some of the choices made for font colour on backgrounds which make it a strain to read. However, you would already need to know what they are to work out, which is which. For instance, in the text below a list of prey is mentioned, and there is an illustration for each. This works well in most places, but it is inconsistent. If this is an unfamiliar device, it makes a good teaching point.

In the interests of design, images are sometimes numbered to correspond with text labels so that the page retains integrity in the design.

Generally, care has been taken to make it clear how the texts and images are related. Bracketed pronunciation or the inclusion of a glossary can be informative and extend learning for young readers without them having to resort to other sources. Examples in the book include cephalopod, papillae, aposematism and bioluminescence. Teachers will know that strange-looking, long words can be off-putting for some readers. As mentioned above, the inclusion of scientific language is positive, but thereвЂ™s no pronunciation guide in this text. The negatives are small, but significant nevertheless, especially in a book written for children. A 20cm scale is used to indicate the comparative sizes of different octopuses The scale of the Giant Pacific Octopus is pictured in relation to a human diver. вЂGaitвЂ™ is explained using human movement as an example. And вЂSexual dimorphism is when males and females of the same species look different to one another вЂ“ and no two octopuses look more dissimilar than the common blanket octopus male and female.вЂ™ (p28).ДЄnother positive is the way ideas are made more concrete by relating them to a readerвЂ™s experience. For example, вЂMost species of octopus live a вЂbenthicвЂ™ lifestyle, meaning they live on the sea floor.вЂ™ (p10). Scientific terminology is used throughout, and on the whole, the explanations are integrated into the text so that most experienced readers will understand the terms. ItвЂ™s also great that the text is not condescending.

#OCTOPUS EYE SUITE HOW TO#

Did you know that octopuses are smart and they can escape from tanks in aquariums and have learnt how to short circuit the electrics by squirting water at light bulbs? Amazing, eh? I learnt a lot of fascinating things about octopuses that I just had to keep sharing with my family: Did you know that an octopus really builds a garden? I thought that was just a Beatles song. The language is pitched at readers from age 9+ there is a lot of information that will be new to young and old alike. One particularly memorable spread uses a palette of teal, yellow, black and white to demonstrate how the mimic octopus disguises itself as a damselfish, banded sole and a venomous sea snake using variation in its striped patterning and body shape. The hot pinks, oranges, reds and yellows that dominate the book turn the octopus into the glam rock star of the ocean. And he has a panache for colour which persists in the visual memory even when the book is no longer in front of you. DaveyвЂ™s analytical approach to shape is reminiscent of Charlie HarperвЂ™s вЂminimal realism.вЂ™ He captures the essence of the octopus rather than attempting photographic realism. The magnificent endpapers of this book exemplify one of the things that illustration can do well. Illustration and photography can reveal a subject in different ways. But how do they stand up as nonfiction books for children? In this review, I will highlight the outstanding features of these desirable books, but also point out some areas where they could be made even better as books intended for younger readers.ДЇirst, the strengths, illustration and visual design are obvious each page is a delight to the eye. The fluidity of the octopus shape, the brilliance of colour and the geometric patterning are a gift for an illustrator with DaveyвЂ™s talent. The books are beautiful and Obsessive about Octopuses is no exception.

#OCTOPUS EYE SUITE SERIES#

In the Flying Eye portfolio, Owen DaveyвЂ™s вЂAboutвЂ™ series each featuring a different animal species has acquired many fans, and itвЂ™s easy to see why. They have positively influenced the childrenвЂ™s nonfiction market with education publishers emulating some of NowbrowвЂ™s features. Obsessive About Octopuses is another triumph from Flying Eye (the childrenвЂ™s imprint of Nobrow) that have developed a well-deserved reputation for producing beautifully designed books, with trademark noncoated papers and innovative printing processes.

Octopus eye suite