Talking to an Octopus was inspired by a young woman who shared with the Stories2Connect team some of her experiences of feeling frustrated and excluded. Children’s author, Susan Gates, worked with the transcript and developed a humorous story using a combination of real events and fictitious characters to explore more serious issues, such as difficulties communicating with others and coping with feelings of isolation. So, although the author made most of this story up, some things in it are true. The real young woman, like the mermaid, really did tear the head and legs off her Barbie dolls. And an octopus really did escape from its tank and swim back to the sea!

The story is aimed at children aged between 7-11, but we hope that children and adults will all enjoy the story and connect with it in different ways. Talking to an Octopus was co-created by the Stories2Connect team. The illustrations were created by Alex Gates and the story was narrated by Ian Crook.