Recommended by Jerry Craft in Talks With Roger: https://www.hbook.com/?detailStory=jerry-craft-talks-with-roger

Ramsey's drawing of an octopus gives his grandmother the idea to make pulpo guisado, octopus stew. They go to the store, pick out an octopus, and put it in the pot...but something's not right. The octopus grows, escapes the pot, and grabs the grandma - so it's up to Ramsey to save her!

Fold-out pages make this two stories in one book. In one story, the outlandish octopus is part of a story Ramsey is telling to entertain his family; in the other, it's really happening.

Author's note, glossary (of "non-standard Spanish"), recipe for octopus stew (pulpo guisado) ( )

When Ramsey's painting of Super Octo gives his grandmother the idea to make pulpo guisado - AKA octopus stew - it sets in motion an incredible and entertaining adventure. Purchasing a huge octopus at the store, Grandma forgets to remove the eyes and beak, leading to a situation in which the (clearly still alive) octopus escapes from the pot and takes her hostage. Now it's up to Ramsey to figure out the octopus' weakness, and rescue her...

Apparently based upon an incident from his own childhood, as well as his family's storytelling tradition, Eric Velasquez's Octopus Stew pairs an imaginative and exciting narrative with vibrantly colorful artwork. There's a great deal of humor and heart in both text and illustration here, with many story elements - an adventure with a beloved grandparent, a superhero cape and storyline, and an octopus(!) - that young children will find entertaining. For my part, I liked the fold-out page where we see Ramsey telling the story - is it meant to be after the fact? or is the tale entirely made up, even within the confines of the book? - as it emphasizes the wider family circle to which he and his grandmother belong. The only thing I didn't like, given the fact that the octopus is still alive at the end of the tale, and joins Ramsey and his grandmother for an octopus-free meal, is that a recipe for octopus stew is included at the rear. That felt a little... odd, given the story developments. ( )