An Octopus Followed Me Home facts for kids

An Octopus Followed Me Home is a fun children's picture book. It was written and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino in 1997. This book even inspired an animated TV show! It's called Willa's Wild Life. Steve Sullivan directed the TV series.

About An Octopus Followed Me Home

What's the Story About?

The book tells the story of a young girl. One day, a green octopus follows her home! She asks her dad if she can keep it. She wants to keep the octopus in the tub.

Her dad then reminds her of all the other animals. He tells her about all the animals he let her keep. He also mentions all the sacrifices he made for them. The girl feels sad after this talk. She takes the octopus back to the ocean.

But don't worry, the story has a happy ending! A gray brachiosaurus follows her home. This makes the girl happy again.

Meet the Characters

The Girl

The Girl is the main character in the book. An octopus followed her home from school. But before the octopus, many other animals followed her home too! For example, a giraffe, an ostrich, and thousands of rabbits came home with her. The book never mentions her name. The Girl's character helped inspire Willa from the TV show.

Dad

Dad is The Girl's father. He doesn't really like having all the animals in the house. But he knows how much The Girl loves them. So, he usually lets her keep them. When The Girl brings the octopus home, Dad is tired of making sacrifices. He tells her to return the octopus to the sea. Dad's character helped inspire Willa's Dad in the TV show.

The Octopus

The Octopus is the sea creature that follows The Girl home. The Girl wants to keep him in the bathtub. But her father tells her to take him back to the sea. The Octopus looks sad when he goes back to his ocean home.

The Crocodile

The Crocodile is one of the animals that followed The Girl home. This crocodile sleeps under Dad's bed. It keeps him from sleeping at all! The Crocodile's character helped inspire Gus in the TV show.

The Giraffe

The Giraffe is another animal that followed The Girl home. When The Girl goes to school, The Giraffe says good-bye. Its head sticks out of the chimney to wave! The Giraffe's character helped inspire Jenny in the TV show.

The Bear

The Bear is a grizzly bear. It is hibernating in the living room. You can find it behind the couch. The Bear's character helped inspire Bert in the TV show.

The Rabbits

The Rabbits are a group of thousands of rabbits. They are gray, orange, and white. These rabbits multiply every single day! The Rabbits' characters helped inspire the bunnies in the TV show.

The Brachiosaurus

The Brachiosaurus is a gray dinosaur. It follows The Girl home at the very end of the book.

The Ostrich

The Ostrich is a large bird. It is seen at the beginning of the book. Its head is stuck in the kitchen drain.

The Tiger

The Tiger is a wild cat. It is seen outside in the lawn. Dad is mowing the lawn when he sees it.