'Everyone has got something that the others don't have' are Ungerer's words about this book and the message could not be clearer. One of his earliest books, Ungerer has chosen of the lesser loved creatures of the time and celebrated its talents for all its regarded faults.
Illustrated in a very limited pallette of green, black and white (with a hint of pink), this was a picturebook published in 1960 when money was short and colour choices restricted. I also found it interesting that, originally, the octopus was going to be called Emil but changed to Emile at the end. A loveable, caring character who despite his differences to all those around him, is welcomed in open-arms and lives a fruitful life in which his difference and skillset are valued.