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.
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.
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.
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!!!!!
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
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 .
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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
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
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.
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
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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 :-)
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!!!!
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.
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Article
‘Trust Your Intuition’: How To Advocate For Your Child In Hospital
Mother’s instinct is a funny thing. At home, we trust it without question. But put us in a hospital setting with an unwell child, surrounded by doctors, nurses and monitors, and suddenly we start doubting ourselves.
What if I’m overreacting? What if I’ve got it wrong?
So we stay quiet, even when we know something just isn’t right with our child. I’ve been there myself – when my usually ‘tough’ son was doubled over with stomach pain. I was told in the emergency department that it probably wasn’t his appendix. But I knew he wouldn’t have begged me to take him to hospital unless it was serious. Because I know him better than anyone. Turns out, it was appendicitis.
It’s a really common place for parents to land. You’re grateful for the care your child is getting, but at the same time, you feel this huge responsibility to speak up if something doesn’t feel right.
Here’s the thing though: that instinct you’re feeling? It matters more than you might think.
Why your gut feeling matters more than you realise
According to Paediatric Nurse Unit Manager, Canterbury Hospital, Leticia Jackson, parents bring something to the hospital that no test or machine ever could.
“Parents often say they ‘just know’ when something isn’t quite right with their child, and in a hospital, that gut feeling is incredibly valuable,” she explains.
Leticia Jackson, Paediatric Nurse Unit Manager, Canterbury Hospital
While medical teams rely on observations, tests and equipment, parents know the little details. The way your child usually smiles. How they react when they’re tired. What’s normal for them.
So when something feels “off”, even if everything looks okay on paper, it can actually be an early warning sign.
“When parents trust those instincts and speak up, this creates a powerful partnership that can sometimes catch a problem before it becomes an emergency,” Leticia says.
Worried about speaking up? You’re not alone
A lot of parents hesitate about advocating for their child.
You don’t want to come across as difficult. You don’t want to question the people caring for your child. And sometimes, you just don’t feel confident enough to push the issue.
Leticia gets it.
“It is completely understandable for parents to feel hesitant,” she says. “No one wants to be seen as difficult or to second-guess the hardworking people caring for their child.”
But here’s a helpful way to look at it: you’re not challenging the medical team, you’re helping them.
Parents are the constant. Staff change shifts, care for multiple patients, and rely on snapshots of information. You’re there the whole time, noticing the subtle changes.
“Our medical team doesn’t view a concerned parent as overreactive, but as a partner,” Leticia explains. “Your voice matters.”
Remember, we know our children better than anyone.
What to do if you’re worried: the Raise It process
If you’re in a NSW public hospital or health service and you’re worried about you or your child’s condition getting worse, there is a clear process you can follow called Raise It.
Raise It is designed to help patients, carers and family members get help fast if they’re worried about a change in their loved one’s condition.
Here’s how it works:
Talk: Start by speaking to a nurse, midwife, doctor or health worker about your concerns.
Ask: Still worried? Ask to speak to the nurse or midwife in charge and request a Clinical Review.
Call: If you’re still concerned, you can escalate further using the Raise It process to get urgent attention from a senior health worker.
You don’t need medical knowledge. You don’t need to be certain. If you feel something isn’t right, or your child is getting worse, Raise It. You just need to speak up.
What should you actually look out for?
Sometimes it’s not one big, obvious sign. It can be small, subtle changes that just don’t sit right.
Things like:
Changes in breathing (fast, laboured or noisy)
Skin looking pale, mottled, or developing unusual rashes
Your child being unusually drowsy, floppy, or hard to wake
Confusion or behaviour that’s out of character
Pain that isn’t improving with treatment
Or simply that feeling that your child is getting worse
And sometimes, it’s just that gut feeling you can’t explain.
That’s enough.
“You are helping us, not bothering us”
If there’s one message Leticia wants parents to take away, it’s that you aren’t bothering the medical team, you’re helping them.
“In my years as a Nurse Unit Manager, I can say with absolute certainty that many critical changes in a child’s condition have been identified first by a parent. While our clinical staff are highly skilled at performing regular observations and interpreting data, parents are the only constant presence who truly know their child’s baseline behaviour, personality, and what is normal for them.
“I have seen numerous instances where a parent’s insistence that their child is “just not themselves” – despite vital signs appearing relatively stable – has prompted a deeper clinical review that uncovered everything from early signs of sepsis to a life-threatening respiratory crisis.”
The Raise It process exists because healthcare teams know how important parents are in keeping children safe.
“Speaking up doesn’t mean you don’t trust the team,” she says. “It means you’re partnering with us to make sure nothing gets missed.”
And if you’re still worried about being judged?
“Whether your concern turns out to be something or nothing, your instinct to raise it is always valid.”
Even as a healthcare professional, when I took my soon to the ED when I was concerned, I felt awkward about speaking up, worried I was making a big deal out of nothing (even though i would never tjink this about a patient’s family if the roles were reversed). The message in this article is so important. Always stick to your guns. Always speak up and advocate for your kids – they can’t do it for themselves.
And honestly, some medical staff are idiots. I vividly remember the night two doctors huddled over my son’s lung x-rays. I hadn’t been allowed to accompany him to have them taken as I was pregnant. They finally told me solemnly that they were preparing to do emergency surgery as there was something in his lungs – “we don’t know what it is, but it’s definitely man made”. I took one look at the x-rays and asked if they’d taken off the battery packs for his cochlear implants, which were pinned to the back of his shirt, before the x-ray. And of course they hadn’t, and of course that’s what appeared to be in his lungs. Honestly!
I have learned many times to always listen to your gut and speak up when you don’t think something is right. This article was a great read, our kids are our world and if we don’t feel they are getting the right help, and we feel it, we need to speak up.
You should never second guess yourself when it comes to yours or your childs health- or anyones for that matter. Go with your thoughts. It is natural to want to protect a loved one especially when it comes to health situations, and the feeling you get when you think you didnt do enough to advocate or fight for them…it is not a kind or nice way to feel. Many people have ended up being heartbroken and picking up pieces for years because of feeling they didnt do enough.
A very good and informative article. I have read so many stories about mums just knowing when things are not right and demanding second and third opinions until they got the right answer. Sometimes mums just know. It is our job as care takers of our families. Listen to your gut!
Years ago, I spoke up for my 14-year-old daughter, but my concerns weren’t fully listened to. I’ve always wished I had pushed harder. She was sent home without much testing, and two days later, she passed away.
So, if you ever have concerns—no matter how minor—please speak up and keep advocating. Trust your instincts; they are there for a reason.
This is so important for parents to know how to raise it further if they don’t think their child is receiving the medical support they need! I know this article refers to the NSW system but other systems have similar procedures just with different names. I know in QLD it’s called Ryan’s Rule.
It’s so important to follow your gut instincts and express your concerns indeed. I have never hesitated to advocate for my children in various situations and I don’t care what other people think about it. Not all doctors and medical staff appreciate it when you question them, I’ve experienced that it may result in angry indignant responses.
How true this is! While nurses and doctors are the medical professionals doing their job on the daily, we know our children better than anyone and what is ‘normal’ for them. I would always speak up if I had noticed any changes in my child’s health and encourage other parents to do so too. No question is silly!
This really is such an important issue and a good topic to discuss with people, I am often surprised that people are worried about being judged. This is not something I care about; the priority is for the care and health of everyone is my family. Parents know their children and need to work with health professionals for the best outcomes for their children.
This is such an important issue to raise, and no one should ever feel ashamed, nervous or that they are being OTT for advocating for their kids, themselves or loves ones in hospital. In QLD we have Ryan’s Rule. A three step process where your concern will be escalated if they believe the patients condition isn’t improving or is worsening.
I have never been afraid to advocate for my children and partner and extended family and also friends. It is so important to listen and to trust intuition. When people have not listened, I have persevered and kept on with insisting on care and making sure they truly listened and took action.
5:58 pm
Colourful, imaginative and so much fun.
8:59 am
My Book of the year for Children under 8.
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.
5:24 pm
A hit with playgroup!
4:29 pm
absolutely the best childrens book
12:19 am
Love this book
4:11 pm
Wonderful Book Loved it
2:59 pm
Bright and beautiful book full of joy!!
11:17 pm
Fun Read
11:18 pm
Fantastic book with amazing pictures
1:29 pm
My Son's fear is GONE!
7:25 am
Colourful and bright
12:30 pm
A lovely bright colourful book!
8:09 pm
Loved by all
11:17 pm
Fun Read
6:04 pm
An enjoyable cute read
12:19 am
Love this book
7:17 pm
11:18 pm
Fantastic book with amazing pictures
1:29 pm
My Son's fear is GONE!
5:58 pm
Colourful, imaginative and so much fun.
4:10 pm
Great book to share with your little ones let you imagination go!
8:59 am
My Book of the year for Children under 8.
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.
7:57 pm
Fun book for children of all ages
2:58 pm
Great colourful book with a tune we all know
8:43 pm
Great kids book but prefer a solid cover.
11:04 pm
Octopuses Garden great read and lots of fun :-)
10:25 am
Fantastic!
10:37 am
9:40 pm
Great introduction to classic music
5:29 pm
Kids loved it and I loved singing along!
Thanks so much!
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