Octavia Octopus and her sea animal friends love playing games to hide and protect themselves from a big, hungry creature. But Octavia just cannot get her colors right when she tries to shoot her purple ink cloud! What will happen when a hungry shark shows up? A great introduction to sea animals, camouflage, and basic colors. The ¿For Creative Minds¿ section includes fun facts about animal camouflage and protection as well as information about octopuses. There is also a primary/secondary color craft. Encourages children to keep practicing. 2006 SCBA Children¿s Book nominee 2006 NAIBA Picture Book of the Year Award

Doreen Rathmell and her sister, Donna collaborated on this book. Doreen is an elementary school teacher and former elementary school librarian. This is Doreen's first book. Both sisters have a passion for children's books and believe that reading to children is the best way to instill imagination and a love for learning. The annual family beach reunion and a Discovery Channel program about octopuses sparked the beginnings of "Octavia." Donna Rathmell German is the author of 16 cookbooks, four of which were New York Times best-sellers including The Bread Machine Cookbook Series, which have sold more than 3 million copies. The 1990's brought extensive media experience promoting her cookbooks, with appearances on such nationally respected programs as The Today Show, The 700 Club, Attitudes with Linda Dano, QVC, and a host of other radio and television programs. Donna is a volunteer at the South Carolina Aquarium. Award-winning illustrator Connie McLennan has been a freelance artist for over 25 years, since attending Academy of Art College in San Francisco. In addition to illustrating Ready, Set, Wait!, she has also illustrated Mother Osprey: Nursery Rhymes for Buoys & Gulls, The Rainforest Grew All Around, River Beds: Sleeping in the World's Rivers, Water Beds: Sleeping in the Ocean, and Octavia and her Purple Ink Cloud for Sylvan Dell Publishing. Her studio is at her home in California, where she lives with her husband, teenage son, and one big, black cat.