It’s always a joy to read Emily Lim-Leh’s books because we get to learn about animals which we have never even heard of! We learnt about godwits in ‘Little Godwit Finds His Wings’, star-nosed moles in ‘Little Mole’s Awesome Stars’, and now, we’re learning about mimic octopuses in ‘Little Mimic’s Superpower’!
Every time we receive a new book, the kids can’t wait to start reading them, and I found N quietly reading ‘Little Mimic’s Superpower’ with Meimei when they were both supposed to be doing something else.
Little Mimic is a young octopus with an extremely unique superpower: the ability to mimic the many other sea creatures that he comes across. However, he doesn’t quite understand the purpose of his superpower, and although he enjoys mimicking the other sea creatures, he can’t help but wonder if there’s more to his superpower than just having fun. It is only when he gets into some trouble that he realises the purpose of his superpower, and truly appreciates this special ability.
The kids were all glued to the story as I read it to them, and it is a fantastic story for getting them to predict what happens next, as well as to think about why Little Mimic has this particular superpower.
I was most fascinated that mimic octopuses exist, but N, my little Science-lover, told me that all octopuses can camouflage themselves by changing colours to match their surroundings. I didn’t believe him, so I did a quick Google search and found this article proving him right. Oops.
Anyway, the mimic octopus is still unique because in addition to just changing its texture and colour, it can change the way it moves its arms to mimic a different species! (You can read this article for more details!)
Personally, I really liked how ‘Little Mimic’s Superpower’ subtly highlighted the fact that we all have our own unique superpowers, and that it is up to us to figure out why we have them, as well as how we can make the most of them. It is also a good way to celebrate the children’s individualities, and to remind them that they are all special in their own ways.
FREE ACTIVITIES
I plan to do some follow-up activities with the kids, based on this story, as I think I didn’t quite have enough time to talk to the kids properly about this. Here are some ideas for you if you purchase this book too!
I found this free printable colouring page of an octopus, and printed it for the kids to colour. Originally, I wanted them to colour it based on a picture of one of the FIFTEEN other species that it can mimic, but I figured it was more fun for them to colour it any way they want. The twins even added their own illustrations to the pictures!
Ask the kids to think about what kind of superpowers they would like to have, and perhaps even get them to draw themselves using their imaginary superpowers.
Get the kids to talk about the traits/superpowers (eg kind, helpful, loving) that they see in each other. They can then draw a picture of their sibling exhibiting the behaviour. I think this is a great way to affirm each child, and hopefully boost their self-confidence as well.
PS. To read more of Emily’s writing, visit her blog HERE. Buy the Book ‘Little Mimic’s Superpower’ is available at Popular Bookstores, Times Bookstores, and Kinokuniya. It is also available online at the following websites: Little Mimic’s Superpower on GoGuru Little Mimic’s Superpower on Kinokuniya Online
INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAY! We have a copy of ‘Little Mimic’s Superpower’ to be given to a reader of Growing with the Tans! To participate, please visit our Instagram account for books HERE. Terms and conditions apply.
Terms and Conditions: This giveaway will end on Friday, 19th March 2021, at 2359h, and is open to readers with a Singapore mailing address only. The winner will be contacted via the particulars provided when entering this giveaway, and will have 24 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be selected. All incomplete entries will be disqualified, and all entries will be verified before the winner is announced. To be fair to our sponsor, please note that all fake Instagram accounts (accounts set up purely to take part in contests, with no or very few real posts), will be disqualified.