My 4 year old bonus son has just gotten into this tv show, so I bought him a book to go along with his new found joy! In this volume, shadows and shade have disappeared, and the Octonauts try to figure out what happened! Cute story, with the 'long' pages being my favorite (you have to turn the book sideways!). The Octonauts description at the back of the book was super helpful for this Papa! I especially enjoyed the description of Kwazii and his “mysterious pirate past”! When do we get that origin story? :-)

I give this 3 stars, but the four year old would give it a full 5! ( )

Something about this didn't work as well for me as the other Octonauts books I've read. My advice for the whole series is, don't buy it until you've gotten a copy from the library to see what you're getting into. ( )

The Octonauts are quietly engaged in favorite activities when the octo-alert rouses them to the command room. Tweak greets them in a panic. Her shadow just disappeared! Looking around, the others discover that all the shadows are missing. Professor Inkling pulls out the Mysterious Places Guide, and advises the Octonauts to visit the Shade King in the Sea of Shade in order to discover the solution to this mystery. After a plucky adventure down the darkish rift, through the olde fangled caves, across the Sea of Shade, and beyond the bramblywoods, the Octonauts arrive at the imposing Shade Castle. Captain Barnacles, Kwazii. Peso, and Tweak must try to convince the irritated ruler to allow the shadows to return to their rightful places in the outside world.

A whimsical and charming adventure under the ocean. The watery world is a fantastic amalgam of real and imaginary aquatic life. The story is just suspenseful enough for young readers, and the plot is light-hearted. The message is quirky - no one really mistreats their shadows, we don't really need a shadow ambassador program. But it's funny, and the shadows are so lovable. Almost as cute as the Octonauts. In addition, the illustrations are bright, cartoony, and very attractive. The authors play around with format as another visual technique; for example, when the Octonauts descend the darkish rift readers have to hold the book on its side, emphasizing a long vertical descent. The font of the book is altered for special effects, and dialogue bubbles and sound effects add an oral component to the story.

The book is a silly and adorable read. It also conveys positive messages about friendship and teamwork, and innocent adventures perfect for children. In the world of picture books, it's a real treat to find one that is original and fully developed, as is this one. My daughters love it. Parents will love it, too: this is one of the books that inspired the popular Disney series, not a derivative picture book based on a TV show. Expect quality writing and development, not a hasty book scrawled off to capitalize on popularity. The original Octonaut book series is a wonderful find, and my family loves the book even more than the show. ( )

"The crew looked around-outside, inside, upside, and downside. Shadows everywhere were indeed missing!" ( )