The Octopus, Dadu, and Me by Lucy Unwin is a heartwarming children's book that takes young readers on a journey filled with friendship and imagination. The story revolves around Sashi , who finds an unexpected friend in an octopus who she needs when she realises her Dadu (grandfather) has dementia.

Young readers are transported into a vibrant underwater world, where the bond between the Sashi and Dadu grows. As the two embark on exciting adventures, the book discusses themes of friendship, acceptance, and embracing differences.

Perfect to use in the classroom as a shared read as it may inspire children to appreciate their unique qualities that make each of them special. Age 8+

I have a fascination with octopuses which is probably what drew me to request this book. I do really enjoy the artwork on the cover and it fits an aspect of the story really well. However, this book really didn’t work for me.

Sashi’s Dadu is fading away and she can’t bear it. To cope, her parents take her to the local aquarium where she meets an octopus, who she names Ian. Sashi soon realises that she can communicate with Ian telepathically and he seems to be asking for her help. Can she convince her friends Darcie and Hassan to help her set him free?

I laughed out loud when Sashi decided that the octopus was called Ian. It was such a random choice and utterly hilarious. This was definitely the best part of the book though!

I really don’t know why Sashi seemed to think that she and Ian had a special telepathic connection. There is mention that some people think that octopuses have psychic and other magical abilities but I really thought that Sashi was clinging on to this way too hard. Her delusion triggered some very erratic, strange behaviour throughout the book and it really didn’t make sense.

Sashi instantly hates an aquarium worker, seemingly just because he gets to feed the creatures every day. So, she is extremely jealous and very weird about it. She is really quite vicious towards this guy that she doesn’t know at all, purely because she feels that she has some sort of ownership claim on Ian. Um, why? The plot even sees Sashi accusing this poor young boy of something really awful and thankfully, that never really came to a damage point because it could have had some serious consequences, had Sashi continued her meaningless hate crusade.

These characters are 12 and yet already being asked to go on work experience placements the following year (so, they’d be 13?). This book is set in the UK and I know for a fact that work experience isn’t a thing until you’re at least 14, so this part shows a lack of research into the workings of the UK school system.

Dadu’s dementia was obviously the heart of the book. Sashi’s struggle to cope with the gradual loss of someone incredibly close to her is really what it’s all about. However, I really couldn’t connect to her at all. I thought she made some awful, unforgivable decisions throughout the book and while I sympathised a bit, I don’t think Dadu was an excuse for her lies, criminal damage, killing of animals and downright stupidity.

The Octopus, Dadu and Me has a very unlikeable protagonist but I did enjoy both of her friends. Darcie, in particular, had a very mature head on her shoulders and did the right thing. Hassan was a bit of a cookie-cutter popular boy but he had a good heart and sensible head. There were several points in the book where I questioned whether Sashi was some kind of sociopath. I suspect that’s not what the author intended but she just felt a little too unhinged to simply be a normal 12-year-old dealing with grief and confusion. I did enjoy the octopus content though!

The Octopus, Dadu and Me
By Lucy Ann Unwin
Published by UCLan Publishing

Did you know? Octopuses have three hearts.
But it is Sashi’s heart that is breaking. Her Dadu has dementia and visiting has become hard for all the family. His loss of memory, his different moods and the upset has made Sachs’s parents decide to stop the visits. Sashi hides her grief from her friends and family and dives into a project of her own as a distraction.

This story is full of love and determination to make a difference. Sashi is strong around her friends, but needs to open up to her own trapped feels of grief and guilt. She NEEDS to make some changes.

“Free Ian” is her project and mission after meeting an octopus who appears to talk to her, looking sad and in need of escaping from the aquarium. Did you know octopuses can be psychic!

This parallel story of being trapped, having no one to talk to and not being in a home of love sends Sashi on an adventure of distraction. Like her Dadu, Sashi believes Ian should be at home with his family and the only one who can make this happen is Sashi.

A brilliant story of strength and friendship has been beautifully written by Lucy Ann Unwin. She writes through Sashi how to overcome the power of ‘wrong’ trapped in your heart. She proves that changes can be achieved if you open up and let others in.

Thank you for writing about dementia, feelings of loss and ways to make it accessible to us all.

Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature

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Gorgeous MG debut which follows tender-hearted 12yo Sashi as she juggles family and friendship dynamics. The issue of her Dadu's dementia is sensitively handled and feels very authentic. And Ian the octopus is a star in his own right - I loved the octopus info scattered throughout the book! Charming and heartwarming, this fully deserves all five stars.

What an absolutely beautiful, tender and touching story. Sashi and her family are coming to terms with their beloved Dadu's dementia. The story deals with this heartbreaking disease and how Sashi struggles to come to terms with it in a way that is so delicate the story will bring great comfort to those who have gone through or are undergoing similar. This is a story for everyone though, dealing with family relationships, evolving friendships and an especially adventurous cephalopod. FACT: this will be instantly added to our school library and recommend as a class reader to colleagues. FACT: it is excellent.

There are so many issues that kids have to face and it's great when a writer deals with the big issues in a really accessible way. In this story we meet Sashi who has had a wonderful relationship with her grandfather (Dadu). Sadly Dadu has developed dementia and Sashi's parents think it's for the best if she stops visiting him as it's very upsetting. The story shows how she deals with her feelings and makes a new link with her Dadu. This is a sad story - warning you will need tissues - but it is also a lovely story of friendship and family 😍📖😍

The Octopus, Dadu and Me is such a beautiful and original story that really tugged at my heart. It handles the theme of dementia and a family coping with this in such a gentle way, and really showed a beautiful bond between a child and her grandfather. There are relatable themes with love, grief, art friendships and family but also an exciting thread and unusual character called Ian, an Octopus at the local aquarium. This is a wonderful book for younger readers, but older ones too.

This was a very relevent book to our family as dementia is something we all understand as we have experienced it. I was unsure as to wether to read this first before sharing it with the children but it was a lovely book to use to share our feelings and start difficult discussions. That said, it actually was a lovely heartwarming story to read even if dementia is not something you have experienced. The children all enjoyed it.