Emile: The Helpful Octopus

Emile is an eight-legged hero who has twice as much courage and four times as many legs as most people - except, of course, other octopuses.

When deep-sea diver Captain Samovar is attacked by a ferocious shark, Emile comes to his aid. Grateful to his rescuer, the Captain invites him to stay at his home, where Emile sleeps in a bathtub full of salt water. Emile turns out to be a fantastic octopus: he is a gifted musician (able to play three instruments simultaneously) and a great lifeguard, teaching children to swim and saving people from drowning. One day, Emile and the Captain, who works on a police launch, encounter a suspicious-looking boat in the ocean, with a dangerous group of smugglers on board...

A charming tale of a fearless crime-fighting, eight-legged hero that will delight two-legged readers of all ages.

Age 5-8

Tomi Ungerer (1931-2019) is a legend in the world of children's books. Born in Strasbourg in 1931, Tomi landed in New York in 1956 with $60 in his pocket and with a suitcase full of drawings. Overnight he became a star as a caricaturist, illustrator, and children's book author. He published more than 140 books for children and for adults in his prolific life. Tomi is a winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest achievable international award for children's literature, and was named Ambassador for Childhood and Education by the Council of Europe in 2003. The Mus?e Tomi Ungerer, a museum devoted exclusively to his work, opened in 2007 in Strasbourg, France. Tomi passed away in 2019 but up until his death he continued to create new art every day, and write stories in three languages - English, French, and German!