Grade PreK–2School Readiness & Humor

How to Get Your Octopus to School

Written by Becky Scharnhorst

Illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett

Getting ready for school is hard enough — but what if your pet is an octopus? With eight arms to dress, eight sets of supplies to pack, and a very particular opinion about everything, this octopus is going to make the morning routine a true adventure. Becky Scharnhorst's hilarious, warmhearted text pairs perfectly with Jaclyn Sinquett's exuberant illustrations to create a back-to-school book that celebrates the beautiful chaos of new beginnings — and the friends (and cephalopods) who make it all worthwhile.

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From the Library Director

How to Get Your Octopus to School is exactly the kind of book that makes kids fall in love with reading. It's genuinely funny — not in a winking, adult-joke way, but in a pure, delighted, 'read it again' way that children respond to immediately. Becky Scharnhorst has a gift for absurdist humor that never loses its heart, and Jaclyn Sinquett's illustrations are an absolute joy — packed with detail, color, and personality. A perfect back-to-school read-aloud, and a wonderful companion to any conversation about new beginnings, friendship, and the first day jitters. Essential for any PreK–2 collection.

Big Idea

Starting something new is a little scary and a lot exciting — and it's always better with a friend by your side (even if that friend has eight arms).

Discussion Questions

1
Why is it so funny that the child has an octopus for a pet? What makes an octopus a silly choice for school? What would be the hardest part of bringing an octopus to school?
2
The octopus needs a lot of help getting ready. What are some of the things the child has to do for the octopus? Have you ever had to help someone get ready for something?
3
Have you ever felt nervous about starting something new — like a new school year, a new class, or a new activity? What did it feel like? What helped?
4
The octopus has eight arms. How does that make things harder — and how might it make things easier? Can you think of ways having eight arms would actually be helpful at school?
5
What do you think the other kids at school think when they see the octopus? How do you think the octopus feels on the first day?
6
The book is a 'how to' guide. What other 'how to' books can you think of? What would you write a 'how to' guide about?
7
What is your morning routine before school? What steps do you have to do? What would happen if you had to do all those steps for an octopus too?
8
At the end of the book, how do the child and the octopus feel? What does the story tell us about trying new things and making friends?

Activity: How to Get Your _______ to School

Students create their own 'How to Get Your [Animal] to School' mini-book, practicing sequencing, procedural writing, and illustration — all through the lens of absurdist humor.

1
Before reading, ask students: What would be the most ridiculous animal to bring to school? Take a few suggestions and enjoy the silliness. Then introduce the book: someone already wrote a book about this! Let's see which animal they chose.
2
Read How to Get Your Octopus to School aloud. After reading, discuss: What steps did the child have to follow? Why was each step funny? What made the octopus so hard to get ready? What made it worth it in the end?
3
Introduce procedural writing: a 'how to' text gives instructions in order, using sequence words like first, next, then, and finally. Look back at the book together — can students identify the sequence words and steps? How does the author make each step funny?
4
Students choose their own animal and create a 4-page 'How to Get Your _______ to School' mini-book. Each page covers one step: getting dressed, packing supplies, eating breakfast, and arriving at school. Students write one sentence per page and illustrate it. Encourage them to think about what makes their animal funny — too big? Too many legs? Too sleepy? Too loud?
5
Share mini-books with the class or a partner. Display them as a class collection. Discuss: What did all our animals have in common? What made each one unique? What does it feel like to write something funny? Connect back to the book: Becky Scharnhorst had to think of all these funny details too — that's what writers do.

Standards Connections

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K-2.3 — Describe characters in a story and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K-2.6 — Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text; distinguish own point of view from that of the narrator or characters
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K-2.2 — Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts that introduce a topic and supply information
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K-2.3 — Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events in sequence
SEL — Self-Management: Demonstrate the ability to manage one's emotions and thoughts in anticipation of new or challenging situations
SEL — Relationship Skills: Demonstrate the ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding connections; show care and concern for others