Book cover of Emile: The Helpful Octopus

Book description

Emile is an eight-legged hero who has twice as much courage and four times as many legs as most people - except, of course, other octopuses.

When deep-sea diver Captain Samovar is attacked by a ferocious shark, Emile comes to his aid. Grateful to his rescuer, the Captain invites him…


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Why read it?

1 author picked Emile as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This delightful book (a fantasy tale first published in 1960) was one of my kid’s favorite bedtime reads.  I love Tomi Ungerer's drawings—they carry this lovely vintage vibe.

Emile is a heroic octopus who not only dazzles with his talents (like playing three instruments at the same time or working as a shape-shifting lifeguard) but also helps capture a gang of criminals. The story is quirky and it made me laugh every time I read it to my kids. 

From Isabelle's list on stop eating octopus salad.

If you love Emile...

Book cover of Cinderelliot: A Scrumptious Fairytale

Cinderelliot by Mark Ceilley,

A gay retelling of the classic fairy tale--a scrumptious love story featuring ungrateful stepsiblings, a bake-off, and a fairy godfather.

Cinderelliot is stuck at home taking care of his ungrateful stepsister and stepbrother. When Prince Samuel announces a kingdom-wide competition to join the royal staff as his baker, the stepsiblings…

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