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Average Ratings (from 36 ratings)
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Octopus's Garden - Simon & Schuster book review :
4.57 out of 5 based on 36 reviews.

Octopus’s Garden with CD written by musical luminary Ringo Star and illustrated by Ben Cort.

Based on the lyrics of the world famous Beatles song, this glorious picture book follows five children on a magical journey through the Octopus’s garden. The playful Octopus takes them on a wondrous underwater adventure – riding on the backs of turtles, playing pirates in a sunken city and sheltering from a storm in the octopus’s cave. The book comes with an accompanying CD which includes an exclusive reading by Ringo Starr and a never–before–heard version of the song.

Octopus’s Garden, written by Ringo Star and illustrated by Ben Cort, is a brand new release from Simon & Schuster.

Available where all good books are sold in hardback for $19.99.

Find out more about Octopus’s Garden here.

 

 


Published 4th November 2013


  • Colourful, imaginative and so much fun.

    Any book that captures a child’s attention and has the ability of them willing to read it or having it read to them is a great book in my eyes. This book is extremely imaginative, cleaver and so very colourful. The CD is an added bonus and it was enjoyed by child and adult alike. Well Done.

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  • My Book of the year for Children under 8.

    I bought this book as a result of reading these reviews.
    I loved the drawings and the book is delightful. The added bonus of a CD was a surprise and the kids loved that!
    I decided that I would buy this book for Christmas presents for many of my family friends and teachers and children. My niece and nephew loved their gift. My teacher friends loved the idea of a book to add to her library to read to their students. I bought three for the school library as a donation from our family. The school loved this gift.

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  • A hit with playgroup!

    I reviewed this book with my son and decided to take it to his playgroup to see how the other kids liked it. They were just hooked on the illustrations and the story then enjoyed dancing to the song afterwards. Another massive thumbs up for this book!!!!!

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  • absolutely the best childrens book

    what a great book .. we love the ocean so to read this to my toddler she absolutely loved it .. so did I

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  • Love this book

    I really liked this book. It’s very colorful and kids loved it too. Books are kept safe like treasure in our house and this book has become an important part of that treasure. We read it almost every week and kids love looking at the pictures by themselves. It’s a total win, love this book

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  • Wonderful Book Loved it

    What a fantastic book My 5 year old daughter loved it. Its now her favourite and I enjoyed it too.The illustrations are amazing and it is very engaging for children with the bright colours .The cd was a major bonus we sang and danced around the house .My daughter wants me to read it everyday to her now which is fantastic. I would recommend this book to all parents as its a pleasure to read .

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  • Bright and beautiful book full of joy!!

    My 5yr old and I absolutely love this book. Being bright and colourful and very engaging had my son completely spellbound. My son tends to sing song books he reads so to come across a book that is a song was the bees knees. Kept us entertained for an hour. Reading through it and discussing the pictures and then going through the CD was so much fun. Recommending this to everyone I know and is on the nieces’ and nephews’ Christmas presents list.

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  • Fun Read

    I loved reading this book. My Dad loved reading to my son, they both are big reader’s (even though my son is 2, he still loves a good book). I had learnt he was learning about the ocean at Kindy. So I bought the book in so all the kids could use it. I honestly found it hard not to sing the song after I’d read it to him.

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  • Fantastic book with amazing pictures

    We read this on a daily basis and listen to the CD often my son loves this book so much the pictures are amazing and the song is just plain cute!! My son knows all the words and can sing the song. This book is a favourite in our house

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  • My Son's fear is GONE!

    I bought this book for my curious toddler.. who hasn’t got the ability to sit still if his life depended on it. He also had a fear of octopus’s… thanks to some (Tv show) he saw of a scary Octopus. THIS book restored his calmness in loving not only the octopus.. but all things under the ocean. Every night.. he says.. “Mummy read opoppus”. So it’s a great read before bed. My son also now.. wants to ride on turtle backs.. every time he see’s a turtle in a book..lol too funny! LOVE books that enrich children’s imaginations.. the colours in this are bright and perfect! Would totally buy this for a friends child.. however.. I would wait till they are a little older.. so that their attention span can sustain the CD..lol (We have to speed read it.. every night) . Awesome book!

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  • Colourful and bright

    I thought the Octopus’s Garden, written by Ringo Star was a really great book! I loved the big, colorful illustrations and the kids seemed to really like them too. Play the cd, as it is included with the book, and it will get you singing to or with your kids. Well done, I’ve enjoyed reading this kids book.

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  • A lovely bright colourful book!

    Octopus’s Garden, written by Ringo Star, is a lovely bright colourful book, the will keep the littlies entertained. My 7 year old loves reading it to her younger cousin, so I’d say she’s also enjoying the book! For any parent who is familiar with this song, you’ll find it hard not to start singing as you read along!

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  • Loved by all

    I borrowed Octopus’s garden from our local library as my sister was visiting with her little one. What a fun book! Lots of bright colourful pictures and of course wonderful lyrics. My sister and I had so much fun that we ended up singing the book to my nephew. Very enjoyable, very entertaining for everyone!

    Did your child enjoy the book?
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  • Fun Read

    I loved reading this book. My Dad loved reading to my son, they both are big reader’s (even though my son is 2, he still loves a good book). I had learnt he was learning about the ocean at Kindy. So I bought the book in so all the kids could use it. I honestly found it hard not to sing the song after I’d read it to him.

    Did your child enjoy the book?
    Did you enjoy reading it to them?
    Would you recommend it to a friend?


  • An enjoyable cute read

    This book has lots of colors and its really pretty to look at. My child enjoyed it and I enjoyed reading it to her as well. Its a fun and imaginative story that she loves to re-read again and again and again. Loves to flip over the pages and just looks at the pictures and the colours with such amazement and wonder in her eyes. Definitely will recommend to play groups and other moms who wants to encourage reading to their kids

    Did your child enjoy the book?
    Did you enjoy reading it to them?
    Would you recommend it to a friend?


  • Love this book

    I really liked this book. It’s very colorful and kids loved it too. Books are kept safe like treasure in our house and this book has become an important part of that treasure. We read it almost every week and kids love looking at the pictures by themselves. It’s a total win, love this book

    Did your child enjoy the book?
    Did you enjoy reading it to them?
    Would you recommend it to a friend?


  • Both my boys loved this book. Such a fun colourful and interactive read. I took it to work and read to my playgroup who were all engaged and enjoyed how bright and colourful the pictures were.

    Did your child enjoy the book?
    Did you enjoy reading it to them?
    Would you recommend it to a friend?


  • Fantastic book with amazing pictures

    We read this on a daily basis and listen to the CD often my son loves this book so much the pictures are amazing and the song is just plain cute!! My son knows all the words and can sing the song. This book is a favourite in our house

    Did your child enjoy the book?
    Did you enjoy reading it to them?
    Would you recommend it to a friend?


  • My Son's fear is GONE!

    I bought this book for my curious toddler.. who hasn’t got the ability to sit still if his life depended on it. He also had a fear of octopus’s… thanks to some (Tv show) he saw of a scary Octopus. THIS book restored his calmness in loving not only the octopus.. but all things under the ocean. Every night.. he says.. “Mummy read opoppus”. So it’s a great read before bed. My son also now.. wants to ride on turtle backs.. every time he see’s a turtle in a book..lol too funny! LOVE books that enrich children’s imaginations.. the colours in this are bright and perfect! Would totally buy this for a friends child.. however.. I would wait till they are a little older.. so that their attention span can sustain the CD..lol (We have to speed read it.. every night) . Awesome book!

    Did your child enjoy the book?
    Did you enjoy reading it to them?
    Would you recommend it to a friend?


  • Colourful, imaginative and so much fun.

    Any book that captures a child’s attention and has the ability of them willing to read it or having it read to them is a great book in my eyes. This book is extremely imaginative, cleaver and so very colourful. The CD is an added bonus and it was enjoyed by child and adult alike. Well Done.

    Did your child enjoy the book?
    Did you enjoy reading it to them?
    Would you recommend it to a friend?


  • Great book to share with your little ones let you imagination go!

    I recently brought this book for my little man mainly for the fact that I love the song and because of the illustrations on the cover of the book. My son really enjoys the book, except for when i try to sing the words! In which I get “mummy no singing”. We also make up our own story giving each of the little people in the books names talking about their magical underwater adventure!

    Did your child enjoy the book?
    Did you enjoy reading it to them?
    Would you recommend it to a friend?


  • My Book of the year for Children under 8.

    I bought this book as a result of reading these reviews.
    I loved the drawings and the book is delightful. The added bonus of a CD was a surprise and the kids loved that!
    I decided that I would buy this book for Christmas presents for many of my family friends and teachers and children. My niece and nephew loved their gift. My teacher friends loved the idea of a book to add to her library to read to their students. I bought three for the school library as a donation from our family. The school loved this gift.

    Did your child enjoy the book?
    Did you enjoy reading it to them?
    Would you recommend it to a friend?


  • Fun book for children of all ages

    My little one enjoyed being read too, And her Big brother and sister enjoyed taking over story time just to read the book themselves. It is the first book that has kept my little girl interested to the end. The adventures and fun in the book and the vibrant colours made it fun to read to her. This is one book that will be coming of the shelf time and again to dive into adventure and absolute fun!

    Did your child enjoy the book?
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  • Great colourful book with a tune we all know

    My three year old loved the pictures – vibrant colourful sea creatures and friendly little kiddies swimming around and loved the song. What is great about this is we all know the tune and song so it is a great and easy to introduce to the kids. The only drawback is, when reading it is hard not to sing the words and if you are not confident with singing, can feel a bit odd, but the kids don’t care about that. There is also the Ringo cd as well. My boy was up and dancing like a crazy octopus after only reading it twice and listening to the song.

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  • Great kids book but prefer a solid cover.

    We loved reviewing Octopus Garden with my daughter. She is almost 4 and this book was perfect for her. Loved the characters and the big pages size. The colours were lovely too, very bright. My daughter loved learning about new sea creatures and pointing the ones she already knew. Was great having the CD, too, especially created by one of the greatest musicians of the 20 century. Overall it was a great experience, but I would prefer to have a solid cover because the paper one tears off quickly with the little ones.

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  • Octopuses Garden great read and lots of fun :-)

    I never got chosen but my younger children had heard me talking about this book and how fun it would be with the readalong cd as you do not see many of these books with cds anymore………so I went and bought it for them.Not the cheapest book Ive bought but it definately has had its value for money.Little miss 4 took it to kinder for the teacher to read&she was so happy with herself when she got home as the teacher&her classmatesloved it 🙂 The teacher was happy as it was different to their usual storytime and as it was raining they had the cd on ………Ive read this greatbook somanytimes that the children nearly know all the words.Its alovely colourful book and Im sure itl get alot more reads.The kids laughed when I was singing the song as Id told them I used to love this song too but their had been afew changesmade so I sang some wrong they thought that was funny that mummy/nanny got it wrong and they know the words.So glad I ended up buying the book as we all love it 🙂

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  • Fantastic!

    I loved reading this to my little girl, I am a huge fan of Ringo, and to share this with my daughter was amazing 🙂

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  • Both my beautiful kids loved this book 🙂

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  • Great introduction to classic music

    My daughter loved this book. She wasn’t really struck at first, but got into it quickly, especially when I put in the accompanying CD, with read-along version, song and intrumental. By the end of the night she was singing the song back to us, I can only hope that they turn a few more songs out, great way to bring old classics to a new audience!!!!

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  • Kids loved it and I loved singing along!

    I am a Pre School Teacher so as well as reading this to my children ( my eldest enjoyed reading it to his little brother and they loved the music CD) I read it to my class. The group sat captivated by the book ( and it isn’t always easy to get them to sit!) and we loved learning the words to sing along with the CD.

    Thanks so much!

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  • The warmer weather tends to make alcohol go to my head faster – I’m not a big drinker, but just for that reason I’d seriously consider a low alcohol wine. The Pinot Grigio particularly sound as if I might enjoy it. I might well buy a bottle or two for Christmas.

    Reply

  • Looks delicious, would be keen to try their wines based off the reviews. Love anything local and the light wine is just an extra win – low alcohol content would be fab for nights with friends where we all still have to drive home afterwards so would be buying for that type of event!

    Reply

  • Chapel Hill Wines do have quite a good reputation. I like the fact that it is low alcohol content. Personally, I like a very sweet wine but many would like these as they are not so sweet. I wish them well with sales and think it’s good they are doing something about lowering alcohol level.

    Reply

  • Thanks for sharing this review. It sounds that the taste is good, the price is good and the alcohol content is really low indeed. I do like the fact that they’re light. One of the things I don’t like when you’re drinking a couple of glasses that it fills you up and it affects your appetite

    Reply

  • I appreciate all the reviews and think this is an excellent way to get your brand out there and known.

    Reply

  • I like the sound of the Pinot Grigio and will look out for it next time I’m at the bottle shop.

    Reply

  • I just asked the forum for recommendations on zero alcohol, but this is an attractive option as well! I do enjoy a Rose, so will try this one after all the positive reviews. It’s a shame they don’t have a sparkling in their collection yet! Would have been prefect for all the celebrating at this time of year.

    Reply

  • I dislike rose, but the pinot grigio sounds like it might suit me. To be honest, the alcohol content doesn’t bother me all that much – I rarely drink more than a glass or two anyway – but it would probably be nice from a general health point of view to know I’m consuming less alcohol.

    Reply

  • This sounds like the perfect glass. I do love being able to have a few drinks and not be all over the place about me. And as a bubbly girlie from Adelaide myself, I’m sure I’ll find a lot to like about this drop. Crisp and not too sweet, I’m sold and will have to try it.

    Reply

  • It was the first time for me hearing about the chapel hill brand. And i still recall when i picked up the Pinot Grigio from my local, the staff there actually stopped me and said i picked a winner! She said that it was probably the best Pinot they had available to sell.

    Reply

  • I’ve heard a lot of good things about Chapel Hill wines and the reviews are always good. I like that they have low alcohol range as I like to have a few glasses when I finally get to have one. Not being too sweet is a bonus that suits me well.

    Reply

  • The idea of having a lower alcohol content wine without compromising taste is really exciting. There’s nothing worse than feeling “under the weather” from the effects of alcohol. This lovely wine ticks all the boxes, lower alcohol and a refreshing flavour. I’m keen to get the Pinot Grigio in my cart and into my fridge!

    Reply

  • This wine sounds delightful and really refreshing to enjoy on a summer afternoon. I love that it tastes fresh and crisp and still has the same punch as other wine. It sounds like an absolute delight. I will have to give it a try next time i am at the bottle shop looking for some wine.

    Reply

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