Hello, My Name Is Octicorn

by Kevin Diller, Binny Talib (Illustrator), Justin Lowe

Overview

An Amazon Best Book of the Year

Meet Octicorn, the funny, sweet, and disarming character who is a champion for anyone who has ever felt a little bit different. And isn’t that everyone? This is a self-published success story from debut authors Justin Lowe and Kevin Diller. 

Octicorn is half octopus, half unicorn, half confused . . . which sometimes makes it hard to fit in.

But maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062387936
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	05/17/2016
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	706,383
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kevin Diller is a writer and producer who lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and two kids.

Justin Lowe is an artist and filmmaker who somehow entered adulthood with his childlike imagination entirely intact. Over a decade ago now, Justin took Sharpie to paper and combined an octopus with a unicorn. That doodle somehow took on a life of its own and is now throwing a party.

Editorial Reviews

02/29/2016
Octi the octicorn has a horn on his head and four legs. He speculates that he could be the result of his father placing a personal ad: “Unicorn seeks Octopus for fun, friendship, and possible strange-looking offspring.” Of course he’s cute as can be, with a doodlelike body (picture a tentacled Pac-Man ghost with a party hat), googly eyes, and a slightly anxious, clenched grin. But it’s important for Diller and Lowe, who created and self-published Octi’s story several years ago, to assert that he’s an outsider—Octi’s cubby at school is the only one without a birthday card invite—so they can catalogue all the reasons why he’d make a wonderful friend (his horn is great for ring toss and making s’mores, less so for catching beach balls). “In the end,” he says, appealing for sympathy that he doesn’t really need, “we all want the same things: cupcakes, friends, and a jet ski.” There’s no denying Octi’s star power, but the book is little more than a listicle, and readers may wonder when the real story is going to start. Ages 4–8. Agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Charming and amusing…a fun choice for storytime.” — School Library Journal

“At once funny and heartfelt, this highly original, important book helps kids to think about their own place among others and encourages acceptance of others, especially those who are left out.” — The Times Herald

From the Publisher

At once funny and heartfelt, this highly original, important book helps kids to think about their own place among others and encourages acceptance of others, especially those who are left out.

The Times Herald

06/01/2016
PreS-Gr 2—You've never heard of an octicorn? He's the offspring of an octopus and a unicorn, of course! Octi describes his life to readers in a matter-of-fact voice that belies the comic illustrations in this title. Octi believes his parents may have met at a costume party (where they each dressed as the other animal). But while his parents found each other and are happy, Octi feels very left out. He doesn't feel like he fits in on land or at sea. Octi is lonely, but he is also able to list all the things that make him unique and someone to be appreciated. The title character could be fun at parties, if he were ever invited—his tentacles make him a great juggler, his horn is perfect for ring toss. This story about how even the most unusual individuals long for friends will appeal to children. The text is fairly short and easy to read. The line drawings, in black and white with the occasional pop of color, are charming and amusing. Diller and Lowe use color to emphasize Octi's personality—the warmth Octi would show to a friend, if only someone would try. VERDICT Children may start the book laughing at Octi's appearance, but they will be won over by his personality and will find him endearing in the end. A fun choice for storytime.—Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ

School Library Journal

2016-02-17
The offspring of an octopus mom and a unicorn dad, Octicorn really needs a friend. With a grim expression, line-drawn body, and mismatched eyes, Octi is still a cute little critter with remarkable self-awareness. Octi is sad to be the only one without an invitation to a cupcake party—and grasps how unusual it is to be one-of-a-kind as a species. Octi speculates about how Mom and Dad may have met ("maybe a personal ad") and reveals the perils and bonuses of having four legs and a sharp protrusion from the head. The playground merry-go-round is a challenge, but juggling and roasting marshmallows are a snap. What Octi doesn't do, unfortunately, is narrate a story that goes beyond the novelty of a book-length character introduction. By the book's end, all readers know about Octi is that it's exceptionally lonely, and not in an endearing way that invites more interest. Rather, Octi seems desperate in a way that makes the concluding invitation for hugs and friendship a call for pity instead of excitement. The doodle-simple illustrations, which seem to have been enhanced with some splashes of color in the book's transition from self-published Kickstarter project to major publisher release, only add to the feeling that this was a thin idea unable to transcend its one-joke premise. There may be plenty more adventures for Octicorn; here's hoping that they'll be more amusing than awkward—unlike this introduction. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews