The Octopus Scientists

Starred review from May 15, 2015
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* This color-changing, tentacled shape-shifter can pour itself through a hole the size of a thimble, drill through seashells with its tongue, squirt ink, and paralyze its prey with venom. There's nothing on the planet like an octopus, yet its high intelligence and prowess at camouflage have made this mollusk difficult to study. This beautiful entry in the award-winning Scientists in the Field series follows an expedition to the French Polynesian island of Moorea to study Pacific day octopusesnot octopiin the wild and unlock some of the mystery surrounding this marine animal. With infectious enthusiasm, the team searches for octopuses with their dens, so the scientists can study their personalities and diet, of which little is known. Between dives, mind-boggling octopus facts are relayed, as well as the team members' backgrounds. Spectacular underwater photography shows octopuses standing tall and stately on their tentacles, while others lie coiled with their skin drawn up into peaks to mimic coral or displaying a range of colors and patterns (purple and gold, stripes and spots) that they can conjure in one-tenth of a second. Other marine life is also featured in breathtaking shots of sea turtles, dazzling fish, and giant clams. Ultimately, little new information is discovered, but this account of octopuses' lives remains endlessly fascinating.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

Starred review from April 1, 2015
An international team of scientists with varied focuses work together on a remote South Pacific island to study octopus behaviors. Two weeks on Moorea, in French Polynesia, snorkeling and diving around the reefs off the coast, admiring the abundant life, and learning about octopuses. What could be nicer? In her latest observation of scientific fieldwork, Montgomery doesn't ignore the downside-there's more searching than studying, here, and it's often physically uncomfortable-but she dwells on the joys of admiring the endless variety in the underwater world and learning about these reclusive, intelligent, surprising creatures. With ease that comes from long practice, she weaves a narrative full of fascinating detail, helpful comparisons, direct quotations, and personal reactions that bring readers into the experience. Chapters of action, with smoothly integrated explanatory background, are interspersed with informative passages about octopuses, the field station, and coral reefs. She describes the team's daily explorations in the water and their inside lab work, identifying the food remains they've collected from neat piles outside the octopuses' dens. This is an account of a successful expedition, although it raises more questions than it answers. "The field is about serendipity," expedition leader Jennifer Mather reminds readers. Amazing photographs reveal the octopuses' remarkable shape-changing abilities and help readers visualize this experience. Science in the field at its best. (Nonfiction. 10-16)

July 1, 2015
The French Polynesian island region of Moorea is home to the Pacific day octopus and to a research center that serves as home base for four scientists who study the species. Montgomery tags along with the team, which is interested not just in the anatomy and environments of these mollusks but also in their psychology: the scientists wish to study the decision-making of octopuses as they avoid predators and choose food and shelter. To do so, they first have to find the octopuses, a difficult task that takes up much of the book, as octopuses employ an array of defense mechanisms to keep themselves hidden. Once found, though, Montgomery explains the detailed, careful methods the scientists employ to collect data about the octopuses and the remnant shells of the animals they consume, surveying every meter of the areas of each octopus sighting. Along the way, Montgomery describes all aspects of life in the field, including the personalities and quirks of the scientists and the joys of working in a beautiful tropical locale. Abundant stunningly clear underwater photographs highlight the colorful details of a range of marine species -- including sea cucumbers, sharks, fish, rays, and eels as well as the octopuses. A bibliography and index are appended. danielle j. ford

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from July 1, 2015

Gr 6-9-Searching for octopuses along the coast of Moorea in French Polynesia might sound like a dream assignment. However, these elusive mollusks are master of deceptive camouflage: boneless wonders that can ooze into impossibly small spaces and that tend to change their locations abruptly, leaving merely a tidy stack of emptied shells from past meals. Montgomery and Ellenbogen join psychologist Jennifer Mather and her team as they methodically explore Moorea's fringing reefs, recording finds of octopus dens and middens on geographic grids, meeting octopods here and there that peer curiously from their hiding places. Interspersed with this logical, systematic investigation is a series of fascinating asides: discussions of the Centre de Researches Insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement de Polynesie Francaise, of the intelligence of these evasive creatures and their amazing capability to change the color and texture of their skin, and of the coral habitats they select as dwelling places. Through sharply crafted text, Montgomery shares her enthusiasm with readers, and Ellenbogen's vibrant color photos allow a crystalline window into a very special environment. This glimpse into an alien world and mind combines biology and psychology: an exciting pairing. VERDICT Another enticing entry in a series devoted to highlighting enthusiastic scientists hard at work in the fields they love.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

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