Not long ago on this site, I came across an adorable video of a tiny octopus with a plastic cup on its back. Some divers were attempting to help it by trying to get it to choose a different shell to have as its top layer of protection, rather than the plastic cup. The plastic cup was not safe for the little octopus, for a variety of reasons. The divers spent many hours bringing shell after shell to the little octopus to see if he would accept any of them. The baby octopus would stretch out his little tentacles to feel the various shells, to determine if any were the right fit for him. But the little guy was choosy! They brought him shell after shell, and for one reason or another, the little octopus did not like those shells! The divers were running out of air in their tanks. Finally, they brought one over that the octopus seemed to like. The divers videotaped as they were helping the octopus and the video is on YouTube and is called ‘Octo in a Cup’. My fictional story starts with the little octopus searching for a safe place to make his home. He encounters many adventures along the way, including meeting some turtles, wave-jumping with dolphins, and being frightened by a jellyfish. Eventually he chooses a spot, settles in with the plastic cup, and is then helped by the divers. My book is called Odie Needs A New Home and is for sale on Apple Books, Kindle, and Kobo Books. Special thanks to the divers for their care and attention to the little ocean creature. I did contact the lead diver and sent him the idea and illustrations about this idea. Thank you for reading!
