Octopus Soup

A young octopus has a string of narrow escapes in this wordless romp involving a rowdy animal cast, which Mayer (the Little Critter books) portrays with humorous exaggeration in brassy, paneled digital cartoons. The inanity begins after the electric-green creature leaves his underwater home, climbs the anchor line of a rowboat, and sneaks into its occupant's fishing basket. On land, the octopus ends up on the head of a frog dining in a restaurant, to whom he clings in terror when the chef arrives with a soup pot. Brandishing a cleaver, the chef gives chase after the frog dashes—octopus still attached—and the octopus is soon pursued by a growing group of exasperated animals determined to catch him for one reason or another. Mayer deftly uses the animals' body language and highly expressive eyes to deliver comedic punches. Some aspects of the story may leave readers puzzled—the octopus is saved by a fishing ban, yet there's fishing aplenty earlier, and it's not entirely clear why he's leaving home in the first place—but those looking for nonsensical slapstick fun should be entertained. Ages 5–8. (Apr.)