Leo and the Octopus

Product Information

Marinov's experience with autism comes from her son, and her reading of 'The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome' by Tony Attwood - a (as far as I know, neurotypical) controversial psychologist who still uses the term Asperger's/Aspie despite it's outdated terminology, and reviewed the story for Marinov. I think this book would work well at the beginning of the school year to introduce how people respond to different stimuli and could be used to discuss ASD and SEN, and the general idea of ‘difference’.

Leo and the Octopus | Book reviews | RGfE

Leo and the Octopus is a brilliant book for building empathy; it really raises awareness of what life is like living with autism. ✭✭✭✭✭” But one terrible November day, the lives of Daniel and his family are changed forever when an accident renders Daniel a shadow of his former self. As Daniel retreats into himself, his family slowly begin to fall apart, without this bright boy at the heart of their lives. Maya is an octopus, and the more Leo learns about her, the more he thinks that perhaps he isn’t alone in this world, after all. In this three-week Writing Root, children will receive a letter with a cuddly toy octopus from Leo, the main character, asking them for advice. They will explore and discuss how everyone is different and how it is important to be considerate and respectful to how individuals feel. They will celebrate the uniqueness of individuals, discuss the importance of inclusion and indirectly explore some of the considerations around autism. Children will have opportunities to talk about their feelings and what can trigger different feelings in different people. They will explore a range of emotion adjectives and the non-verbal cues that can accompany them. They will then go on a journey with Leo to investigate and learn all they can about octopuses. They will learn a range of skills building towards writing a fact file exhibiting all they have learned. This will be published as a brochure for the London Aquarium. Children will have opportunities to explore writing in simple past and present tense, using plurals and different sentence types. This Writing Root will be enriched by planning a trip to an aquarium to look at octopuses firsthand. A great non-fiction book to accompany this unit is Obsessive about Octopuses by Owen Davey. Synopsis of Text:An excellent book to help classes in KS2 understand and empathise with how children on the autistic spectrum experience the world ― School Reading List

Leo and the Octopus: Isabelle Marinov, Chris Nixon Leo and the Octopus: Isabelle Marinov, Chris Nixon

The octopus keeper is not judgmental, he is observant and curious, recognizing those same traits in Leo. With keeper's encouragement and acceptance, Leo launches a personal mission to learn all he can about Octopuses, sharing those facts via a notebook on several spreads. Impressed, the keeper invites Leo to interact with Maya the octopus, providing ever more challenging puzzles. All of which Maya solves, abby the way. Discover a heart-warming new picture book about a little boy with autism and the octopus who helps him understand the world. Isabelle is a graduate of Cornell Law School and lives in Luxembourg. When she is not writing, she can be found on the tennis court or in the dojo. She speaks four languages fluently.This book beautifully highlights, explores and explains how our world can feel like an alien planet to some children. Leo, a child with Asperger's syndrome, develops a connection with Maya the octopus, a creature he feels he has much in common with.

Leo and the Octopus — Isabelle Marinov Leo and the Octopus — Isabelle Marinov

Leo struggles to make sense of the world. He doesn’t understand the other children in his class, and they don’t seem to understand him. But then one day, Leo meets Maya. This story shows a strong relationship between an octopus and a child with autism. The text has strong PSHE and science links. This text explores issues around neurodiversity and provides opportunities for discussion as well as exploring strategies to cope in a neurotypical world. The story also encourages children to be curious and reflect on their relationship with the natural world. Links and themes:Leo is a curious child but he feels different from the other children in his class and he doesn't understand them. He doesn't like too much noise and the commotion of the classroom can sometimes upset him. When he meets Maya the Giant Pacific Octopus he builds a friendship that assures him he is not alone. The story will strike a chord with children who have Asperger's Syndrome, as well as educate other children about the condition in a way they can relate to. As a young child growing up with Asperger’s Syndrome, Leo can find the world to be a stressful, lonely place. We follow Leo’s journey as he begins a heart-warming friendship with an octopus named Maya. My Comments Did you know that octopuses are also known as monsters of the deep? These intelligent creatures live across the world's oceans and are easily identifiable from their eight arms and large, bulbous heads. But there might still be a few things you didn't know about the octopus.