The world of the sandy seabed is brought to life in Meet Mim, the story of one of the natural world’s masters of disguise — the mimic octopus.

Sandra Severgnini sets up a delightful guessing game for the reader while showcasing the abilities of this little-known creature. The mimic octopus can change color, shape and skin texture in all kinds of amazing ways. It deters predators by shapeshifting into creatures that are known to be poisonous, such as the spiked lionfish and the banded sea snake. It can even imitate jellyfish and sea stars.

This book is for everyone from inquisitive little people who love nature to adults who can still be fascinated. Budding marine biologists will delight in the wealth of accurate detail presented in the illustrations. Adult and child readers alike will be left with a new appreciation for the life in our precious yet threatened marine environments.

Sandra Severgnini owned an art gallery and retail store before finally deciding it was well and truly time to nurture her lifetime passion and focus on children’s picture books. Her fascination with the magical natural world around her inspires her words and brings sensitivity and humor to her illustrations.

Sandra’s other books include Grub and Tree Beings (also published by EK Books), as well as Boogie Woogie Bird, In the Shadow of an Elephant, Where’s Lucky?, and The Christmas Garden. In 2020, Tree Beings was an INDIES Finalist for Juvenile Nonfiction (Children’s) and won a Wilderness Society Environment Award for Children’s Literature.

ReadPlus UK | school librarian-run review website
“The illustrations are glorious… I loved looking at where [Mim’s] eyes were each time she changed shape, and I am sure younger readers will spot other things to focus on, as the book offers so much.”

@averys_playtime_adventures | Instagrammer with 3.6k followers,
“Avery loved learning about Mim and her wonderful transformations, this is a fantastic book and a great way to learn about the magnificent mimic octopus.”

ReadPlus
“ The illustrations are glorious”

Sunday Telegraph
“a treasure trove of sea life illustration … fascinating and amazing”

STONNINGTON BOROONDARA KIDS
“The images immerse young readers in the wonders under water, taking them on a deep dive under the waves for a cheeky guessing game and the wonders of the little-known mimic octopus”.

In The Good Books (via instagram)
“Mim loves to copy other sea creatures, and her shape-shifting ability deters predators from attacking her. It is ideal for readers aged 4-8 years old.”

Seahorse Library
“The world of the shallow ocean seabed is brought to life in this story of an amazing animal, the mimic octopus. The illustrations give a realistic picture of the sea creatures in this environment and how perfectly the octopus impersonates and outwits them. For the reader, the fun is in the guessing — what is the real shape of the master of disguise that Meet Mim introduces us to?”

We Made This Life | active blog with 7.6k Twitter followers
“a beautiful story”

Flying off my bookshelf blog
“Realistic without anthropomorphizing, intriguing but not lengthy, and I love that the author chose female pronouns for Mim as well!”

Mummahh
“Not only full of gorgeous illustrations of the natural environment deep beneath the waves, it is educational, showcasing the abilities of the little-known mimic octopus! If you have a little one who loves the ocean and sea creatures, this sweet book will take you on a guessing game to meet Mim and learn all about the mimic octopus.”

The Bottom Shelf Edu Blog
“this is a book that will captivate young readers who are interested in the miracles of Mother Nature” 

Science Teachers Association of Victoria
“An excellent means of introducing students in the lower primary classes to the study of marine life and/or other areas of science – animals, vegetation, colours, shapes and movement.”

South Sydney Herald
“keeps readers guessing right from the start through an intriguing game of underwater obfuscation.”

Good reading Magazine
“Meet Mim is an entertaining book which has us trying to guess who Mim is on every page and shows us just how this clever creature can move and change form to mimic other creatures of the sea. Included in the back are five fun facts about the octopus.” 

Blue Wolf
“The art and text combine to present a comprehensive guide to the Mimic Octopus as well as a fascinating story. It is wonderful to see such quality in an informative and simple presentation. Meet Mim is just a joy to read.”

National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature – Dr Belle Alderman AM, Director of National Centre of Australian Children’s Literature Inc.
“I adore Meet Mim! Clever, amusing, fabulous illustrations, and a treat of nonfiction too – well done!”

Literacy, families and Learning (Trevor Cairney Professor of Education The University of Sydney)
“Teachers and their students who share this book will be blown away by this beautiful and informative picture book”.

ABC Sunshine Coast
“A beautiful book about a mimic octopus. It’s absolutely gorgeous” 

Just So Stories
“Beautifully executed and totally fascinating” 

The Strawberry Post | 2.2k Twitter followers and a very dedicated blog following
“such a fun story about an amazing sea creature that can mimic others… a starting point into learning more about our seas and oceans and the wonderful wildlife they contain.”

Noosa Today
“brings the world of the shallow ocean sea bed to life”

StoryLinks
“Severgnini’s clever use of light and shadows, colours and textures brings the seabed alive in this fascinating book that is sure to entertain curious little wildlife lovers.”

Picture Book BC (via Instagram)
“For the reader, the fun is in the guessing — what is the real shape of the master of disguise that Meet Mim introduces us to?”

Armadillo Magazine | active book blog
“Meet Mim is a wonderful book to introduce children to the wonders of the sea and especially its crafty protagonist.” – Stephanie Ward, Armadillo Magazine (Stephanie also posted the review on Amazon and Goodreads)

Reading Time
“Meet Mim abounds with captivating illustrations as the reader embarks on an undersea journey to discover and learn about this incredible sea creature called Mim, a mimic octopus..”