The Little League Under the Sea.

As a young parent convinced about the high ROI of an education, we appreciate the positive role models, and in the Octopod (the crew’s dorm), you cannot swing a Kwazii kitten (the cat Octonaut) by the tail without knocking down a framed diploma. Another valuable lesson the book makes is that of critical reading: the digitally created cartoons are great fun, the gang of friendly pets brims with energy, the text is full of wit. Yet we had to point out to our almost 3yo that he should not believe everything that’s in books and that no, submarines are not usually diesel powered. He very seriously said he understood, but he seemed more interested in the Richard Scarry-like level of details of the drawings: the super-rich undersea scenery gives Finding Nemo or Shark Tales a good run for their money.

He asked for the book to be read to him several times, quite a feat for a kid who forces us to come up with new songs every night and refuses to hear one more than once. He enjoyed turning it sideways and upside down as the Octonauts go North, East, South and West, in search for a friend for the Only Lonely Monster, a giant squid, so that she (he?) would stop humping hugging the Octopod. A book which engages the participation of the reader -- another fun lesson from this first adventure of the Octonauts!