with confidence
to hug himself
VIOLET THE HUGGING OCTOPUS
Violet the Hugging Octopus is a #1 Best Selling children’s picture book with a message of self-confidence and self-love. ORDER NOW
Violet
Violet, the main character in Violet the Hugging Octopus is much like a real- life Octopus. She is effervescent, brave, self-assured, encouraging, optimistic, generous, loving and smart.
All octopuses have eight legs, which are covered in suckers on the undersides. What you might think of as octopuses' heads are actually called mantles, and they contain all their internal organs.
An octopus can hide in plain sight. Using a network of pigment cells and specialized muscles in its skin, an octopus can quickly match the colors, patterns, and even textures of its surroundings, making it nearly impossible to see.
Fast swimmers, an octopus can jet forward by expelling water through their mantles (heads). Their soft bodies can squeeze into impossibly small cracks and crevices where predators can't follow.
Amazingly, an octopus can lose an arm to escape a predator's grasp and regrow it later with no permanent damage.
Considered the most intelligent of all invertebrates, the common octopus is found in the tropical and temperate waters of the world’s oceans. They can grow to about 4.3 feet in length and weigh up to 22 pounds, although averages are much smaller.
Did you know? Octopuses have three hearts!
Did you know? Octopuses have high resolution vision just like humans do.
Conservation Status: Most are listed as least concern.
Sources: NationalGeographic.com OctopusWorlds.com LiveScience.com
Pufferfish
Pufferfish is friendly, clever, crafty and adaptable. His character in Violet the Hugging Octopus looks friendly too, in light green and blue with a funny smile, Puffer looks happy and at home in the ocean with friends.
Biologists think pufferfish, also known as blowfish, developed their famous “inflatability” because their slow, somewhat clumsy swimming style makes them vulnerable to predators. Pufferfish use their highly elastic stomachs and the ability to quickly ingest huge amounts of water (and even air when necessary) to turn themselves into a huge “ball” several times their normal size.
A predator that manages to snag a puffer before it inflates won’t feel lucky for long. Almost all pufferfish contain tetrodotoxin, a substance that makes them foul tasting and even poisonous when ingested.
Puffers range in size from the 1-inch-long dwarf or pygmy puffer to the freshwater giant puffer, which can grow to more than 2 feet in length. All puffers have four teeth that are fused together into a beak-like form.
Despite using their fins to help them swim (with a tail fin acting as a rudder), puffer fish are notoriously slow-moving. They have excellent eye sight, which is helpful scouting food or detecting predators early.
Did you know There are over 120 different species of Pufferfish?
Did you know? A pufferfish’s teeth never stop growing. Puffers use their teeth, also called beaks, to open hard foods like mussels, clams and snails which trims their continuously growing teeth.
Conservation status: Mostly stable. Some species of pufferfish are considered vulnerable due to pollution, habitat loss, and overfishing, but most populations are considered stable.
Sources: NationalGeographic.com PetMD.com IUCN.org
Stinging Ray
Stingrays are friendly but shy, introverted and unaware of their own strength. Like stinging ray’s character in Violet the Hugging Octopus, rays are chill, they like to go with the flow.
They can grow up to 6.5 feet and weigh up to 790 pounds!
Stingray tails are armed for defense, some kinds of stingrays have a spine in their tail with a very sharp point and edges that are serrated or notched.
The tail may also be used to maneuver in the water, but its primary purpose is protection. Many Stingrays have venom that is delivered through their tail which can be fatal to humans.
Stingrays are commonly found in the shallow coastal waters of warm seas. They spend the majority of their time inactive, partially buried in sand and swaying with the tide.
A stingray's mouth is on the underside of its body, along with its nostrils and gill slits, its eyes are on the top.
The stingray's coloration commonly reflects the seafloor's shading, camouflaging it from predatory sharks and larger rays.
When they are inclined to move, most stingrays swim by moving their bodies like a wave; others flap their sides like wings.
Did you know? To avoid stepping on a stingray in the shallow water you can shuffle your feet. The vibrations will alert the stingray and he will swim away.
Did you know? Stingrays are related to sharks and also have cartilage instead of bones.
Conservation status: Least Concern on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN ) Red List.
Sources: Kids.NationalGeographic.com NationalGeographic.com IUCN.org
Jumbo Shrimp
Shrimp likes being with friends, is a wonderful swimmer, can easily go with the flow, is a great communicator and likes helping others. He is as friendly as he looks in Violet the Hugging Octopus.
Just like many fish, shrimp are surrounded by companions, they travel, eat and swim in schools.
Within their schools, shrimp are known to communicate with sound. They are heard snapping and clicking, which is thought to play a role in how they socialize and even intimidate other marine life.
Shrimp can survive in both freshwater and saltwater.
They can easily adapt to new conditions in the water, which makes them very versatile. As long as they have ample food, they can thrive.
Did you know? There are approximately 2000 varieties of shrimp.
Did you know? Cleaner Shrimp will go into the mouths of fish and clean or eat away their parasites and bacteria. How strange and awesome is that!
Conservation status: Threatened. Greatest threats to shrimp is overfishing and human damage to their natural habitats through pollution, drilling and oil spills.
Sources: WhaleFacts.org NationalGeographic.com IUCN.org
Moray Eel
Introverted and shy, moray eel is mostly nocturnal, which means he is most active in the nighttime. In Violet the Hugging Octopus, we get to meet moray eel in the daytime, lucky us.
Eel is a fast swimmer, spends time alone, loves hiding in crevices and in between rocks and coral reefs.
There are more than 700 kinds of eels & more than 200 kinds of Moray eels
Eels that live deep in the sea are usually gray or black. Eels that live in tropical areas have bright patterns and colors.
The moray eel is the most widespread eel in the world.
They inhabit shallow warm waters, and can be found in crevices among rocks or coral reefs.
Typically about 5 feet long, there is one species of eel that grows to 11 1/2 feet long!
Eels have small eyes and cannot see very well, but have a very keen sense of smell
Did you know? Morays have a second set of jaws in their throat to help swallow their prey!
Did you know? Cleaner Shrimp hang out with Moray Eels and clean their mouths like the dentist.
Conservation Status: Least Concern on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN ) Red List.
Sources: Sciencing.com OceanExplorer.noaa.gov IUCN.org
Violet
Violet, the main character in Violet the Hugging Octopus is much like a real- life Octopus. She is effervescent, brave, self-assured, encouraging, optimistic, generous, loving and smart.
All octopuses have eight legs, which are covered in suckers on the undersides. What you might think of as octopuses' heads are actually called mantles, and they contain all their internal organs.
An octopus can hide in plain sight. Using a network of pigment cells and specialized muscles in its skin, an octopus can quickly match the colors, patterns, and even textures of its surroundings, making it nearly impossible to see.
Fast swimmers, an octopus can jet forward by expelling water through their mantles (heads). Their soft bodies can squeeze into impossibly small cracks and crevices where predators can't follow.
Amazingly, an octopus can lose an arm to escape a predator's grasp and regrow it later with no permanent damage.
Considered the most intelligent of all invertebrates, the common octopus is found in the tropical and temperate waters of the world’s oceans. They can grow to about 4.3 feet in length and weigh up to 22 pounds, although averages are much smaller.
Did you know? Octopuses have three hearts!
Did you know? Octopuses have high resolution vision just like humans do.
Conservation Status: Most are listed as least concern.
Sources: NationalGeographic.com OctopusWorlds.com LiveScience.com
Pufferfish
Pufferfish is friendly, clever, crafty and adaptable. His character in Violet the Hugging Octopus looks friendly too, in light green and blue with a funny smile, Puffer looks happy and at home in the ocean with friends.
Biologists think pufferfish, also known as blowfish, developed their famous “inflatability” because their slow, somewhat clumsy swimming style makes them vulnerable to predators. Pufferfish use their highly elastic stomachs and the ability to quickly ingest huge amounts of water (and even air when necessary) to turn themselves into a huge “ball” several times their normal size.
A predator that manages to snag a puffer before it inflates won’t feel lucky for long. Almost all pufferfish contain tetrodotoxin, a substance that makes them foul tasting and even poisonous when ingested.
Puffers range in size from the 1-inch-long dwarf or pygmy puffer to the freshwater giant puffer, which can grow to more than 2 feet in length. All puffers have four teeth that are fused together into a beak-like form.
Despite using their fins to help them swim (with a tail fin acting as a rudder), puffer fish are notoriously slow-moving. They have excellent eye sight, which is helpful scouting food or detecting predators early.
Did you know There are over 120 different species of Pufferfish?
Did you know? A pufferfish’s teeth never stop growing. Puffers use their teeth, also called beaks, to open hard foods like mussels, clams and snails which trims their continuously growing teeth.
Conservation status: Mostly stable. Some species of pufferfish are considered vulnerable due to pollution, habitat loss, and overfishing, but most populations are considered stable.
Sources: NationalGeographic.com PetMD.com IUCN.org
Stinging Ray
Stingrays are friendly but shy, introverted and unaware of their own strength. Like stinging ray’s character in Violet the Hugging Octopus, rays are chill, they like to go with the flow.
They can grow up to 6.5 feet and weigh up to 790 pounds!
Stingray tails are armed for defense, some kinds of stingrays have a spine in their tail with a very sharp point and edges that are serrated or notched.
The tail may also be used to maneuver in the water, but its primary purpose is protection. Many Stingrays have venom that is delivered through their tail which can be fatal to humans.
Stingrays are commonly found in the shallow coastal waters of warm seas. They spend the majority of their time inactive, partially buried in sand and swaying with the tide.
A stingray's mouth is on the underside of its body, along with its nostrils and gill slits, its eyes are on the top.
The stingray's coloration commonly reflects the seafloor's shading, camouflaging it from predatory sharks and larger rays.
When they are inclined to move, most stingrays swim by moving their bodies like a wave; others flap their sides like wings.
Did you know? To avoid stepping on a stingray in the shallow water you can shuffle your feet. The vibrations will alert the stingray and he will swim away.
Did you know? Stingrays are related to sharks and also have cartilage instead of bones.
Conservation status: Least Concern on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN ) Red List.
Sources: Kids.NationalGeographic.com NationalGeographic.com IUCN.org
Jumbo Shrimp
Shrimp likes being with friends, is a wonderful swimmer, can easily go with the flow, is a great communicator and likes helping others. He is as friendly as he looks in Violet the Hugging Octopus.
Just like many fish, shrimp are surrounded by companions, they travel, eat and swim in schools.
Within their schools, shrimp are known to communicate with sound. They are heard snapping and clicking, which is thought to play a role in how they socialize and even intimidate other marine life.
Shrimp can survive in both freshwater and saltwater.
They can easily adapt to new conditions in the water, which makes them very versatile. As long as they have ample food, they can thrive.
Did you know? There are approximately 2000 varieties of shrimp.
Did you know? Cleaner Shrimp will go into the mouths of fish and clean or eat away their parasites and bacteria. How strange and awesome is that!
Conservation status: Threatened. Greatest threats to shrimp is overfishing and human damage to their natural habitats through pollution, drilling and oil spills.
Sources: WhaleFacts.org NationalGeographic.com IUCN.org
Moray Eel
Introverted and shy, moray eel is mostly nocturnal, which means he is most active in the nighttime. In Violet the Hugging Octopus, we get to meet moray eel in the daytime, lucky us.
Eel is a fast swimmer, spends time alone, loves hiding in crevices and in between rocks and coral reefs.
There are more than 700 kinds of eels & more than 200 kinds of Moray eels
Eels that live deep in the sea are usually gray or black. Eels that live in tropical areas have bright patterns and colors.
The moray eel is the most widespread eel in the world.
They inhabit shallow warm waters, and can be found in crevices among rocks or coral reefs.
Typically about 5 feet long, there is one species of eel that grows to 11 1/2 feet long!
Eels have small eyes and cannot see very well, but have a very keen sense of smell
Did you know? Morays have a second set of jaws in their throat to help swallow their prey!
Did you know? Cleaner Shrimp hang out with Moray Eels and clean their mouths like the dentist.
Conservation Status: Least Concern on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN ) Red List.
Sources: Sciencing.com OceanExplorer.noaa.gov IUCN.org
You are invited to download these Violet activities pages and enjoy.
Book Reviews
I love the artwork and all of the characters are great! Violet’s story helps you love yourself. I can't wait for my friends to read and see it!
When I showed Elizabeth the image of Violet on my phone, she gave a big smile and hugged the phone!
I think that it was cool that a lot of the words rhymed and that at the end of the book it says that you should hug yourself everyday.
I think the story is beautiful and will teach all ages about loving yourself, which I know is a big problem, as I struggle with it all the time in my current teen years. I really appreciate the stunning art as well! A great book for everyone and a must read.
What's best about this book is it's beautiful, important message! It's sure to inspire confidence and celebration of uniqueness and diversity.
You'll read this, re-read this and then start thinking about everyone you know who you want to have read this, too! Violet the Hugging Octopus is packed with compassionate lessons that will touch the hearts of readers ages 0-120.
I love this book! Sherry has written a touching & beautiful story about a simple, yet powerful concept of embracing ourselves as unique & perfect, just the way we are.
Amazing book written by my dear friend & former yoga teacher! Sherry had us hug ourselves in class & told us we are beautiful just the way we are. Powerful message for adults & children!
My kids just love the pictures and my 7 year old loves reading it to her 1 year old sister.
Having been a psychologist specializing in trauma treatment of adults, it is so clear that Violet"s message is forever universal.