Agnes the octopus finds a postcard floating under a pier. Reading it, she thinks a boy, Andrew, is calling her a monster. She writes back in order to set him straight, but, rather than a simple back-and-forth, what follows is a series of postcards sent among a variety of underwater creatures, such as a crab, a smaller octopus, and Agnes' many eggs. Through the creative, humorous correspondence, details are shared about octopus life and Agnes' undersea home, effectively blending fact and fantasy. The nonfiction part of the story is bolstered by two pages of information about octopuses, as well as a list of books and websites for further reading. Mixed-media illustrations, including collage, acrylic, and digital images, convey both Andrew's setting and a glorious underwater world through effective use of texture, light, and shadow. Many of the notes are funny, but they include serious elements about Andrew's conflict with his brother and Agnes' love for her children. Entertaining and useful, this book has several curricular tie-ins, including science, writing, and character education.

Toward the end of her short life, an octopus exchanges a series of postcards with others around her, including a boy on a pier and her newly hatched eggs.Spread by spread, a simple narrative accompanied by postcard messages provides clever introduction to the life of a giant Pacific octopus. Though Latham's story is thoroughly fantastic, both author and illustrator have been respectful to this amazing creature, describing realistic behaviors and depicting her relatively accurately, right down to the rectangular pupils of her eyes and her senescent color change. Agnes the octopus squeezes herself into a jar and later into a crevice in the rocks. As "Crabby Crab" requests, she stops eating crabs, but only because she's ready to lay her eggs. She evades a predator by ejecting a cloud of ink. She quietly tends her eggs until they hatch, and then she bids the world goodbye. She has final advice for her pen pal Andrew, too: "You can't be mad or sad when you're swimming. Try it." Backmatter offers further information about octopuses (including the correct plural) as well as solid suggestions for further reading. Baker's appealing collage, acrylic paint, and digital illustrations are full of deep-sea color and abound with interesting patterns and textures. They include other thoroughly recognizable sea dwellers. Certainly the most engaging of the recent wave of octopus stories, for reading aloud or reading alone. (Informational picture book. 4-7)