Squid and Octopus: Friends for Always by Tao Nyeu (Dial Books, 2012) is almost a Frog and Toad friendship for the aquatic world. Squid and Octopus are almost indistinguishable (something I also thought about Frog and Toad when I was a kid) and they are best friends.
In four brief chapters, they have a silly fight, Squid has an exciting dream, Octopus finds something new in the ocean, and they share the contents of a fortune cookie. My favorite story was that of the flower pot/hat that Octopus enjoys. He cannot seem to use it for the right purpose, until Squid can come justify his original thought of what it is.
I should add that while the concepts of two friends is reminiscent of Frog and Toad, in many ways the book is quite different: the illustrations are silk screened with pencil markings, very different from Lobel’s style, and the chapters are much shorter. This is a picture book, and not a beginning reader. Nevertheless, Squid and Octopus seem to have a life of their own, and I hope Ms Nyeu revisits these adorable friends in future volumes some time.
Note: I read this book from a library copy for consideration for the Cybils award. I was not compensated in any way for my opinions.
