This is such a neat product! You're Blushing, Little Octopus is a wonderful, full color, hardbound book that tells the story of an octopus who endures teasing from her not-so-neighborly reef companions. It isn't until she finds herself in danger and discovers how to blend into the environment around her that the other sea creatures develop an appreciation for what makes her different.


In addition to teaching the virtue of understanding and the appreciation of differences, the book comes with a wonderful educational tool--an interactive CD-ROM. It includes several educational games, photos, video clips, and narrative descriptions of reef life. Topics of study include reef critters, mollusks, octopuses and snails, octopus physics, camouflage, the food web, and conservation. The CD also includes puzzle and memory games, an audio reading of the book, a useful teacher's guide, and many printable activity sheets, making it a great science resource for the homeschool.

My children and I enjoyed the story and CD-ROM. I especially appreciated the lack of fast-moving media features and obnoxious music and phrases that often accompany educational software for children. The subject matter is engaging and enchanting in its own right, and it's truly refreshing to come across a product that reflects that. You're Blushing, Little Octopus is a delightful way to introduce reef life to a child and to help spark their natural curiosity and wonder for the fascinating world around them.

Product review by Dawn Peterson, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, May 2008